Part 1
A few weeks ago, against my better judgement, I tried a new nail salon for a pedicure. Now, if you are like me, you are very picky and down right snobby about where you get your toes painted. The atmosphere has to be perfect. I usually peek in to see if there are any children lingering around. If there are, are they quietly reading a book? Or hanging on their mother complaining about how much longer? Are the massage chairs updated- massaging the back, neck, and legs, or are they the ones that just vibrate? Is it so crowded that you have to wait your turn, or if you don't have to wait your turn, will the pedicurist be too tired from a continuous stream of customers to give you a decent, albeit, free massage ? These are all of the conditions that I failed to look for that day.
As soon as I walked into Salon X, I was ushered to my chair. I have to admit I had a bad feeling in my stomach right from the start when I saw 3 salon workers hanging out while I was soaking my feet in cold water. Finally, a young man, I'm guessing around 20 years old, comes to my chair. OK- I'm thinking maybe this pedicure might suffice. A male pedicurist is usually a good thing due to the strength of their hands when giving a foot massage.
A few minutes into my pedicure I realize that my pedicurist is rain man. He starts with a polite, "hi, how are you?" I play along nicely for the first few pleasantries.
Then things start to turn ugly. Here's the rest of the conversation:
Rain man- did you just come from work?
Me- (confused by the question because I have water marks on my boobs from my bathing suit, and traces of sand on my legs) No, I just came from the lake
Rain man- oh, wow! Sylvan Lake?
Me- yes
Rain man- can anyone go to that lake? I love lakes
Me- no, I own a town house there
Rain man- What!!?? You own a house? How much do pay a month?
Me- It's not rent, I OWN it....are you asking me for my mortgage payment?
Rain man- oh I see....do you live there with your husband?
Me- (arrrghhh!!) NO
Rain man- No??!! Do you live there with your children?
Me- (arrghh!!) NO
Rain man- well then how do you own a house?
Me- (taking deep breathes) I work
Rain man- what do you do?
Me- I'm a teacher
Rain man- wow!!! How old are you???
Me- (you have to be kidding me! Am I am hidden camera?) 29
Rain man- well then why aren't you married? I have friends that are teachers, and they are all married....especially if you are 29.
I should have asked him how he felt about being a 20 year old man working in a nail salon picking dirt out of women's toes.
Needless to say I went home that day with my head hanging down...looking at my crappy pedicure. When I dragged myself into the house I looked right into the mirror. Did rain man just expose the insecurities of most 30 year old single women in 4 minutes flat? How could this be possible? I just came back from a 3 week journey of self love.
Part 2
The second half of this story happened right after rain man stole my dignity and self respect. I was sitting in my chair waiting for my toes to be painted. Since the other 3 salon employees were all on a break at the same time, rain man had to start the pedicure process on the elderly lady in the chair next to me. As the water was running, and she was rolling up her pants, I couldn't help but notice her legs. They were dry, cracked, and full of red blotches. I didn't think too much of it being that she had to be in her late 60's maybe 70's. When I saw that rain man noticed her legs too, I said a little prayer for this lovely old lady, and hoped he wouldn't ruin her day with his inappropriate comments.
Rain man- man! what happened to your legs?
Old lady- oh this? isn't it terrible?
Rain man- yes! what happened to you? Were you in a fire?
Me- Dear Lord, please make him stop. I really don't want to see an old lady cry today. Amen
Old lady- oh no, not a fire...come here...come a little closer
(Both Rain man and I move in extremely interested)
Old lady- Psoriasis!!!! (then she laughed) I've been dealing with this for years!!!
Rain man- does it hurt?
Old lady- oh no sweet heart, don't worry about hurting me!
At the time that whole encounter happened, I was too upset to see it as a life lesson. It wasn't until I was standing in front of my mirror that it hit me. She had some thick skin! Rain man had pointed out a physical deformity on this lady, and it didn't bother her one bit. When I contemplated why she was able to have that type of inner strength I immediately thought of my younger years as a teacher. Every question from my students about the pimple on my face, impulsive new hair cut, or...the worst of them all "you look pregnant" would leave me in the staff bathroom in tears during my lunch break. Now, I shrug these comments and questions off. "No I'm not pregnant, I'm just bloated. Bloated is what happened when you eat too much salt Jose".
The old lady had been through it! I'm sure worse things had happened to her than some young man asking her about her skin. But, what really got me was how compassionate she was towards him! She wasn't irritated or unkind. She answered him as if she was talking to her best friend. Like, "oh this? this lip stick color, it's midnight red!" - "oh this? it's psoriasis!"
Patience and wisdom sure do come with age. Although 30 is approaching, I know I have a long way to go. Next time I feel insecure from a question someone asks me, I'll say "sure, let me show you my psoriasis".
