To do it again…

April 15, 2020 by 10 Comments

There wasn’t much thought involved with writing a list of what I’ve missed throughout this virus pandemic and would like to do, once it’s over.  Actually, it’s all very basic.  Even simple.  Call it my Wish List. 

 

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Hugs.  Yes, up close and very personal expressions of caring, of love and good old gratitude.  With family members living close by, we stand at a polite, safe, distance from one another.  The same with friends.   It’s all just so…clinical.  Efficient and unemotional; coldly detached.  A hug at this point in time could be a needed expression of support yet, it can also be dangerous, possibly a lethal human-to-human touch.  In fact, there’s an interesting book written on this subject...”THE PROS AND CONS OF THE HUMAN HUG” by S. Elia.  You can Amazon it!  Sadly, practices surrounding future hugging will remain just thoughts for the unforeseeable future.

 

gathering

Gatherings.  This is a tough one.  Meetings, social events, family get-togethers, religious worship.  I’m guessing this all can be orchestrated as long as everyone comes with their own tape measure and maintains an acceptable space from one another.  At this point, after enduring the required “stay at home” procedures, I’m ready to go, ruler in hand.

 

Fly

Traveling.  Boy, I’d really, really like to fly the friendly skies at the first opportunity.  More than that, I’d like that window to open for my, too far away, family to come and visit.  Even with that, there are just so many variables involved and it’s anyone’s guess as to if, and when, airline travel will resume normal functions. 

 

Shopping

Shopping.  Not just the random runs to the supermarket…real shopping!  To the local nursery for plants, to a shop for clothing I don’t need but want, to a local thrift shop to find a precious collectible, stopping at a farmer’s market.  Silly stuff.   Okay, none of these are what might be deemed necessary but all were part of my now bygone normal.  The freedom to take a ride in the car and stop here and there on a whim.  I miss that and can’t wait to do it all again.

 

work

Work.  I cannot wait to return to work.  It won’t be easy, given the beauty industry I work in and all that will be required in maintaining safe practices for everyone.  Trust me, I KNOW how clients have been inconvenienced with not being able to have hair services.  The impact that COVID-19 has had on non-essential businesses has been fairly devastating for many hair salons.  The strong will indeed survive and the loyalty of clients will be instrumental to that process.  I’ll be ready to style, trim and color-correct, hiding behind my mask and trying hard not to gasp at the results of too much kitchen-hairdressing.

So, there you have it.  My 5.  Nothing too earth-shattering, probably not even remotely exciting, even boring.  Representative of my own particular normal.  Wikipedia sums me up best… behavior that can be normal for an individual when it is consistent with the most common behavior for that person. Normal is also used to describe individual behavior that conforms to the most common behavior in society.   Blah, blah and more blah…in all this time, I’ve always thought I was a staunch non-conformist.  What the hell does stupid Wikipedia know anyway?

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Write a list of 5 things you’d like to do when we’re done social distancing.

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Stay home, dammit!!

April 3, 2020 by 6 Comments

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Let’s face it, there is little to laugh about of late.  Fortunately, my having an extremely sarcastic personality (shocker, I know) allows for me to stand back, now and then, snickering over some of the idiocy that presents itself during this virus pandemic.

Hey, one must laugh wherever and whenever one can!

My particular, non-essential, employment came to a halt at 8 p.m. on March 21st.  I’ve ranted about the aftermath in other posts, given the foundation of my industry and its dedication to beauty.  Maintaining an acceptable self-image, especially where one’s crowning glory is concerned, is more important to most salon clients than changing the oil on their car.  At present, my stylist-friends share that their clients are mostly handling this situation well and many salons, for a nominal fee, are providing their actively-working clients with their formulated hair-color mixtures for self-application at home.  For them, I can well understand not letting those gnarly roots show while they are out in the workplace, still able to bring home a paycheck.

Now, for those currently unemployed, those retired and hunkered-down at home (where you should be)…who cares?  Weekly clients…it’s damn time you learned how to shampoo your own head, at least for the sake of cleanliness!  Where are you going that you just can’t plop a scarf, or a hat, on your head if you do venture out?  People are walking around wearing masks and gloves, most looking like they just stepped out, ready to rob a bank.  You, putting a covering over a 3″ wide strip of roots, or hair that hasn’t been teased high enough to touch the roof of your car,  won’t get anyone’s attention!  Trust me!

All of this brings me to someone (who shall remain nameless) who has demanded, insisted and, along with much pissing and moaning, refuses to acknowledge the dire situation involving the rampage of COVID-19!  This client (and, trust me, there are millions more like them) just cannot understand why any legalities, or safety regulations, should impact their individual lives.   Their sob-stories…“Just lock the salon door and no one will know.”, “If you get caught by the state inspector, just say I’m your family!”, “Well, I just HAVE to get my hair done and that’s IT!”.

I won’t share their name but…here’s their photo.  Feel free to distribute it from wherever you are. Just call it my bit to do some community service for the salon industry.

Curlers

You’re welcome.

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Share something that made you laugh this week.

I’ll admit to not laughing about much.  Some of the endless virus meme’s that everyone shares bring a smile, others bring a pause, a reminder, to keep prayers going for everyone.  I’ll also admit to being scared, for my family and friends and for humanity.  That being said, beyond this, I cannot laugh at the selfishness of others when so many humans are scared and suffering with this pandemic.

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Feeling old…

March 17, 2020 by 4 Comments

 

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It goes by different names.  Coronavirus or…COVID-19.  References to this bacterial invader flash in front of us everywhere, on newscasts, newspapers, social media and in just about every conversation we have.  Who has it, knows someone who does and, of course, all the Who’s from Whoville are panic-stricken, fearful of becoming infected…and at any moment!

The focus is on older people, especially those with compromised medical conditions.  That kind of puts me over on that side of the room, except for not dealing with any health issues.  Still, I fall into that “older” category and having family suddenly chastise me for doing what I do, daily, now has become a touchy subject.  Hey, I’m the parent still and will stand my ground as being the one who takes care of everyone else!  I don’t appreciate being sent to my room and being told that I can’t leave the house…I call bullshit!  I’ve made it this far around the sun, relatively unscathed, and I’m certainly not looking to challenge the powers-that-be by jumping onto some cruise ship or heading into Manhattan to go shopping.  A lot of good either might do me since the streets of the Big Apple are almost deserted at present and I absolutely despise any idea of being packed like stockyard cattle on some inflated floating hotel with three or four thousand possible carriers of the Bubonic Plague.

Yes, I’m somewhat cranky at this point, watching and waiting to see how this current virus does manifest itself and how much its progress will impact my life and everyone else’s.  Like so many of us, I need to work, I almost like to work, and now, facing any type of quarantine situation as this virus progresses doesn’t promote a cheerful countenance.   Countenance.   I despise that word, by the way.  I’ve disliked it since it was put under my high school yearbook graduation photo.   Like, couldn’t the yearbook staff have come up with something a bit more…creative…back then?

Whatever.

Give me a major winter snowstorm, I’m one hell of a happy camper.  What’s better than being home for a day or two looking out at nature’s beautiful landscape covered in white?  This current situation and how it’s affecting everyone, some to the point of insanity, is presenting an extremely stressful scenario from coast to coast and beyond.  Really, people…toilet paper shortages for an upper respiratory affected virus?  And, why is toilet paper ALWAYS on the hot list for people to clear from market shelves during any emergency?

Okay.  I’m done.

Seriously, and from the heart, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone caught in the growing web of this virus.  Aside from sharing my combination, feeling-old/somewhat whiny, rant over what’s affecting each of us, I hope that everyone does what’s necessary to stem any advancement of COVID-19.  The more we follow the stated directives, the sooner this virus will depart.

Hopefully.

 

workshop-button-1From Mama Kat’s Writers Workshop…Write about something that makes you feel old.

 

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