I got bangs recently and they needed a trim.
X is my trusted hair stylist. I've been seeing him for a few years. I joke that if he ever moved to Nunavut with his kid and partner, I'd pack my bags and eagerly follow them. Those who ever had a bad haircut - know exactly what I mean.
Want to know a secret?
The trick to great hair is to find a stylist who gets you. One who can read you. Even when you say one thing out loud and mean another. Even when you have a great idea - like wanting to turn platinum blond for summer - a good stylist will nod and gently and kindly tell you his/her/their honest opinion of what would works for you based on your skin tone, face shape and personality.
Needless to say, platinum blond didn't happen. I got bangs instead.
The other day, I had lunch with family friends. The grandfather is 98 years old AND healthy. He's a riot. I love sitting next to him and teasing him. We have many great laughs.
At the end of lunch as I'm about to get up and leave, he turns to me and says - by the way, I like your sunglasses. They're really cool. He's actually talking about my overall look, including my new haircut. The sunglasses complete the look.
I laugh and thank him.
You know you've made it in life - when a 98 years old says that you're cool - HA!
Back to my hair appointment. X is a whiz and in no time, my bangs are neat and trimmed. I no longer look like a shaggy dog.
I get up and reach for my wallet. X tells me not to worry about it. Some stylist won't charge clients for having the bangs trimmed. If there's a good stylist-client relationship.
I reach for some cash and leave a generous bill on the counter. I tell X he needs to eat and so does his young kid.
X thanks me, reaches out to give me a hug. Our usual routine. He retracts his arms and says bye instead. Since Covid broke out, hugs like that are no longer ok.
As I walk back to my car, I recall the look of relief on X's face when I insisted on paying. Sure I could save the money. Having extra money is always nice. But in this particular situation, he needs it more.
It's not about equality. Let's not confuse equal with equitable.
Making a little less money temporarily is not the end of the world - in my humble opinion. There will be other opportunities.
Deep down, people with means know exactly what I'm talking about.