A series of essays....
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| "THIS LEAVES POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT UP TO MY IMAGINATION." |
....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
I cannot remember when a story failed to light-up my life or put a smile on my face. We love a good story. We know we’re not alone as long as others have stories to tell and we are able to listen to or read them...and, maybe, just maybe, share some of our own.
With this in mind, I sit here, bird-like, my neck curving downwards, my eyes concentrating on the seven by five inch lined notebook where I’ve been writing down, capturing, if you will, the many words floating in the air around me. If I concentrate hard enough, it’s easier to define a single conversation and write down its key words before methodically moving on to the next.
Even as my hands move steadily along, swirling the fluid blue ink upon paper, my eyes attempt to avoid the figure reflected in the large mirror in front of me. The person looking back is a clear caricature of myself; a clownish character lost within the vanity of aging and the distant memories of youth. Sneaking a peek at Anna’s ‘handiwork in progress,’ I giggle out loud and wonder if a bright red nose would complete the picture reflected in the gilded mirror, hair slathered in white foam, red glasses sliding down the nose. At this, I contort my neck back into writing mode....and, resume my research.
Even though I’m here for the luxury of covering-up the grays, my hair salon provides me with tiny nuggets offered by the unique and interesting lives of others. I know no one by name, other than Anna, my hairstylist, and don’t consider my notes as stealing from the women and several men from whom I take these potential story ideas from. By the way, I do the same in airports, restaurants, and just about every public place I visit. Often emotions are raw, not subjected to adjustment or analysis, pure unprocessed ideas in their natural state. This allows any promising sugarcoating to be left up to my own imagination.
“My husband and I are taking our first trip to Europe in September....”
“You must have the longest hair in your class, Sweetheart....”
“Thank you. So far I’ve lost thirty pounds. I still have around fifteen to go.”
“Our grill broke and we used the Crockpot out on the patio over the weekend.”
“She flies in next Tuesday. We haven’t seen her for over two years!”
“We had to cancel the movers and reschedule for two weeks later.”
“She’s had a tough time with treatment. Damn cancer!!!”
Unfortunately, the last tidbit has become all too familiar and sad for most of us these days with far too many loved ones, friends, and acquaintances suffering as we offer them our love, hugs, and all of the support we can muster.
Today, my favorite conversation was all about a new client being ushered back to her stylist’s little cubicle to perch upon her own throne of faux leather. When asked what she’d like done today, the client replied, “Make me look sassy! I want to feel good about myself!” And, that pretty much summed-up the morning for me. Our hair is our crowning glory. There’s much to be said for having good hair days that, in turn, equal good days in general.
I never really know what the fate of each tiny slice of life is. They just continue to live and multiply in my tiny notebook, lovingly labeled by date and location. Often, they are outside of my control. They all have the potential of holding their own and being reborn as a short story, blog material, or a sliver of a fiction novel...present and future. They captivate the imagination because they are real words spoken by real people living out their days by communicating with the people around them. What could be better and more natural than this?
Anna has considered my ‘baking time’ complete and, gently, shampoos, cuts, and styles my, for the most part, gray-less crowning glory! I will say, I do feel a bit younger now than I did an hour or so beforehand. Is it a miracle? We can call it a miracle, hocus-pocus, built-in self confidence, but I call my morning a lesson in joyful possibilities, learning to focus, and food for the heart and soul.
“So, how do you feel? Do you like it?” Anna asks.
“I’m feeling sassy this morning, Anna. Sassy and ready to greet the world!” I reply with a smile.
Copyright © 2019 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
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