Lean On Me

Today I had the pleasure of entertaining a lost soul and by pleasure, I mean, it brings me joy that someone so vulnerable trusted me enough to confide in me. I also find joy in being able to wrap my arms around someone in such a vulnerable state and give them any and all of the positive energy that I have left in my body… so that they might feel an ounce of peace, even if only for that moment during the embrace. You may not think that an ear to bend, a shoulder to cry on or a hug means that much until you’re the one who needs it. Sometimes, we have no concept of how our actions and/or gestures impact others and how they are capable of changing someone’s day, week, month or maybe even their life, for the better.

 People have been telling me of their stories for years. I have heard the good, the bad, and sometimes, the ugly. You see, I have made a career for the past 30 years of being a hairstylist. Now don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed and have prospered quite well excelling in this field of work, but after three decades, I’m a wee bit tired… Somedays, I wish I had more energy or more of myself to give because I feel as though I do a number of jobs all rolled into one. Ask any hairstylist that has been able to hold their own in this industry for decades and I’m sure they would say the same. Of course, people come to me and sit in my chair because I “do good hair”… but often I find myself doing more than just beautifying whoever is in my hands, so to speak… Hair aside, I find myself in the ever so humbling position of being someone’s confidant, therapist, advisor, teacher, and best of all… friend. I mean, how many people can say that about their jobs??? I am still to this day taken back by how open, honest, real and trusting human beings can be if you only just give them the opportunity to feel comfortable. 

I feel as if we should all be a little more personal with one another. Take that extra moment to not just say “Hi”, but to really engage with others and ask questions about them with the intent of really caring about the answer. A wise person once told me, “You learn more when you listen, than when you speak.” Think about that for a second… If we don’t offer people the opportunity to release their happiness or woes, we may completely miss the chance to change a day, a moment, or a life for the better with a kind word or an embrace. We all get so consumed with our own lives that we often don’t recognize the signs of when another might need a little attention or a shoulder to lean on. I’d like to believe that even in the hustle and bustle of this crazy world we live in, true kindness and caring still exists. Maybe, being a hairstylist for the past 30 years is more significant than one would imagine because I’ve learned more about human nature in all my years working in a salon than some learn in a lifetime. Now I know I’m not a scholar, and maybe some might say my job as a hairstylist is just fluff, but I’ll take a job where people choose ME time after time, year after year because they “trust me”, any day! So whether you’ve had a great day or you feel you’re ten steps away from a meltdown… Sit Down, Relax… and Lean On Me. 

As for the lost soul that was in my chair today that suffered a great tragedy, she will be ok, eventually… I not only did my job to make her feel beautiful, but I did the other part of my job, the part that I don’t get paid for with money but with something far superior, gratitude. For when she was falling to pieces in front of me, in the two hours we shared, I helped her pick up those pieces, put her back together with my loving support and enveloped her in the kind of embrace that expressed true empathy. And upon her exit, she thanked me, not just with her words, but with her eyes…