OOH LA LA! #3

Existential moments at the hair salon

Last night in a writing class, we introduced ourselves by answering the question, “Which month would you delete from the year and which month would you double?” About half the class wanted to delete March. I was between January and March, but now that I’m here on March 1, I’m feeling good about my January response.

Right now as I write this, the sun is shining directly onto my jewelry stand in my bedroom where I keep my disco ball earrings. There’s now a hundred tiny light flares dancing on the wall and it’s delightful! If this is any indicator of what’s to come in March, I feel pretty good about this for us.

This week’s OOH LA LA! list includes: dancing with people who like dancing, receiving maternal care at the salon, and painted fingernails.

I am absolutely in love with dancing! When I’m dancing, my non-stop mind goes silent and I am solely focused on feeling the music and trusting the way my body wants to move. I will gladly dance anywhere, but my favorite place is dancing with people who like dancing! I got to do that this week, and I’ve got to say, it was a real mood-lifter! I was having a bit of a sad day, but after dance class, I felt more ME again. When I’m dancing with other people who like dancing, the permission to move freely feels magnified, and the joy of marking a moment with music and movement (okkk alliteration!) feels exhilarating! When I’m dancing, I feel liberated by the need to be clever or silly or smart or cool, because dancing is a language of movement, not thoughts, so there’s no way to be right or wrong. I suppose it’s true that any experience we love is enhanced by sharing it with other people who love it, and this feels to me, super duper OOH LA LA!

I saw an Instagram ad this week for a hair salon in Chinatown where you can get your hair washed and styled for $30. The real steal of the deal though, is that the wash also includes a deep shoulder and scalp massage. I said, say no more, I’m there! It’s one of those classic New York salons that’s tucked away on the second floor of a big mixed-use building where the entrance is just a door that opens to a staircase with minimal signage or directions. To find the place really feels like you’ve been let in on a secret, and I suppose this adds an element of exclusivity that adds to the experience. In reality, it was sort of a no-fuss salon with a streamlined system where you get a number after checking in like you’re waiting at the DMV. I love an efficient system! Even though the operation was a well-oiled machine, the experience itself was bliss.

While the older woman was massaging some sort of white foamy cream on my head and neck, I couldn’t help but notice her smiling, and I wondered how she maintained such a commitment to quality and compassionate service from one client to the next. We didn’t speak, which I appreciated as an introvert at the salon, but I felt so cared for and tended to. Perhaps it’s my pursuits of healing my childhood wounds, but lately, anytime I am at the salon, I think about the fact that to receive a salon service from a kind woman is to receive a sort of maternal care, and that is a real and true gift. It’s actually quite vulnerable to have a stranger wash your head and comb your hair (!!!), and whenever I am in the position of receiving this service, I think about sending loving kindness to whoever is offering this form of nurturing to me. The best thing about this particular visit is that there was no decision-making on my end and the stylist just decided how they’d like to style my hair, which in this case, was for me to be a cool Mom from 1999. I had a good laugh.

I think fingernails are the weirdest body part. I keep my nails super short because if I feel even a millimeter of growth past my fingertip, I will not be able to focus on anything else. Why do we even have fingernails? Does anyone know? To feel better about this, I like to have painted fingernails. Years ago, a friend told me she intentionally spent at least an hour every week painting and shaping her nails, which was a practice prescribed to her by her therapist to sit still and slow down, for at least an hour. I’ve adopted this practice, albeit somewhat inconsistently, and I’ve come to appreciate the opportunity to add more color to my life through fun nail polish colors and designs. It’s a subtle outfit element, but I’m really into it right now.

Ok, now here’s some shared OOH LA LA! lists…

Kalie: Some simple but profound pleasures for me are: beginning ballet as an adult after always wanting to learn, bunny cuddles, candlelit baths, and beach combing (I love you lake Erie).

Cheers to more simple and profound pleasures for all of us!

Thanks for reading!

I’d love to know about your OOH LA LA! somethings. Reply to this email with 1-3 sentences about your current obsessions, passions, and pleasures. You can send a list of things you are loving, or write a little blurb expanding on something you’re super into right now. If you’re cool with me sharing your reply in a future post, include a note like “consent to share” in your email.

XOXO

-LJ