Meeting Gigi
Meeting Gigi
I forget sometimes what a delight people can be, and then I meet someone who forces themselves into my tired and frustrated brain by their simple charm. Some of my most interesting encounters have been when I really put myself aside and get to know someone else; I don’t know why I’m always surprised when someone gives me the same gift.
Yesterday at lunch I ran out to get a haircut. Gigi took me back right away and asked me what I wanted. “Just trim it up. Same thing I’ve got now, just less of it.”
“Do you want it layers so the back lies smoothly on your neck?”
I stare at her. “Gigi, I don’t know. It’s just your basic old lady short haircut. Whatever you think is best.”
“Okay.” I take off my glasses and close my eyes, but she keeps trying to make conversation, and eventually tells me a story about hiking up on the Sandia Peak outside Albuquerque. She’s recently moved to Albuquerque from Portland, and is very happy here.
Normally my basic short old lady haircut takes ten minutes tops, but Gigi gets out this razor contraption and starts “shaping” the hair over my ears. I try to save her from the disappointment. “Gigi, there’s not that much to work with. I mean, I’m a nurse. I just need to look tidy.”
She gives me a stern look, and I try again. “Listen, I’m just not that into hair.”
She puts down the little razor, and speaks very firmly and very quietly. “That’s going to change, starting today.” She picks up a jar of something sticky and starts playing with my hair.
“What are you doing?” I can’t see anything. My glasses are still off.
“Just wait.”
When I finally reclaimed my glasses, she had made the top of the old lady haircut stand up in perky little spikes. “Hey, that’s kind of cute!”
“You still look like a nurse, but like a nurse who’s ready for some fun.”
That was a bit optimistic-I thought I looked like a nurse who was tired and irritated, but with a fun-loving hairdresser. But in order to do her work justice, I might even put on some makeup today. And a smile.
I forget sometimes what a delight people can be, and then I meet someone who forces themselves into my tired and frustrated brain by their simple charm. Some of my most interesting encounters have been when I really put myself aside and get to know someone else; I don’t know why I’m always surprised when someone gives me the same gift.
Yesterday at lunch I ran out to get a haircut. Gigi took me back right away and asked me what I wanted. “Just trim it up. Same thing I’ve got now, just less of it.”
“Do you want it layers so the back lies smoothly on your neck?”
I stare at her. “Gigi, I don’t know. It’s just your basic old lady short haircut. Whatever you think is best.”
“Okay.” I take off my glasses and close my eyes, but she keeps trying to make conversation, and eventually tells me a story about hiking up on the Sandia Peak outside Albuquerque. She’s recently moved to Albuquerque from Portland, and is very happy here.
Normally my basic short old lady haircut takes ten minutes tops, but Gigi gets out this razor contraption and starts “shaping” the hair over my ears. I try to save her from the disappointment. “Gigi, there’s not that much to work with. I mean, I’m a nurse. I just need to look tidy.”
She gives me a stern look, and I try again. “Listen, I’m just not that into hair.”
She puts down the little razor, and speaks very firmly and very quietly. “That’s going to change, starting today.” She picks up a jar of something sticky and starts playing with my hair.
“What are you doing?” I can’t see anything. My glasses are still off.
“Just wait.”
When I finally reclaimed my glasses, she had made the top of the old lady haircut stand up in perky little spikes. “Hey, that’s kind of cute!”
“You still look like a nurse, but like a nurse who’s ready for some fun.”
That was a bit optimistic-I thought I looked like a nurse who was tired and irritated, but with a fun-loving hairdresser. But in order to do her work justice, I might even put on some makeup today. And a smile.