The First Five Gifts of Lent

A while back I took one of those personality tests on Facebook to see what kind of dog I was. I had to have been extremely bored. It told me I was a golden retriever. Although that seemed to be positive, it cautioned on being too eager and helpful.

I feel horrible if I can't answer a phone or get right back to someone on an email at work. I am told one can wait a few minutes for that kind of thing, but still I feel a terrible guilt for making someone wait.

Most times at the hair dresser I am clutching my smart phone and texting & emailing the whole time leaving my stylist to converse with nobody.

She tries her best to distract me, but usually I give her the same answers one mumbles at the dentist.

The exception with the hairdresser is that usually I wander out with some juicy useful tidbit. Names of new shows to watch, ideas for things to pack in lunches, meals to try. I decided this time when I walked in that I was going to focus on being present in the moment even if it killed me.

We both agreed I needed the attention. When a hairdresser exclaims oh my your hair is LONG it's not always a nice thing. What I didn't know until after I talked to her was that she needed the attention too.

Her morning had started badly. The dog had managed to get into the trash and while cleaning that up, she dropped a glass bottle on her foot. In fact, although she had cleaned her foot up before coming, she wasn't entirely sure if all the glass in the cut was actually out.

Then, due to having to clean up garbage and her foot, she was late to work by ten minutes.

Her first client was upset and had left. When she called to apologize, she got an earful. Since the lady was supposed to get a massage and instead got angry, the entire process seemed a little pointless to me when I heard the story. (I have learned the art of waiting a few minutes living here in the North Country although I draw the line at 45 minutes at the doctor's office).

My hairdresser was still so sideways she had to paint one of my big toes three times. That was remarkable in itself as usually she takes something I can turn into a 20 minute affair of hopping, swearing, and arm waving into five minutes of effortless activity.

It was HARD to sit still and not check my phone.

It rang twice. One was a guy I work with a lot and the second was the president of my company.

I happen to know for a  fact they both get their hair cut since they always call me back later and say oh I was getting my hair cut. Plus when I see them, they do not resemble apes.

The first call was during a foil and the second was right before she was about to pull off the eye brow wax. I ignored both calls even though it was KILLING ME. Answering the second call probably would have been hazardous to my eye brow anyhow...

The boss one was a bit harder. He calls rarely so I had a minute or two of distracted pondering until I dragged myself kicking and screaming back into the conversation.

All gray hairs colored, eye brows tamed and toes a nice sparkly hot pink, I paid my bill. I left her a nice tip. She plans on putting new windows & a front door in her house this summer and will need all the money she can get.

And on topic of waiting, I am dropping off four bars of hand made soap at the Post Office when I am there today. That line seems to make people grumpy and I'm going to ask the lady at the register to give them anyone who looks like they need a pick me upper. Someone local makes the soap and the scent is Lost on the Beach. Since it's snowing again here, hopefully the smell will give them a nice day dream of a hot sandy beach with umbrella drink!

Have a Happy Saturday!


This is the first of five posts about My Version of Lent. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I am thinking them up!