Oh Happy Day

Unvictorious, washout, unavailing, futile. These are all describers of the way I sometimes feel as a 27-year-old college grad who is working as a hostess in a restaurant. Let's be honest, anyone who owes upwards of $20,000 in school loans could start to feel this way when surrounded by 19 and 20-year-old co-workers. I actually know a few college grads who are working at similar low-paying jobs and are perfectly happy. But this is not what I had envisioned for myself five years ago when I threw my cap up inside Anderson Arena.

Be that as it may, there is still hope for success. Everyone has a different mountain to climb. Some people are climbing a slippery slope and just stay in the same spot for years and never seem to make it up. Some people excavate their way to the center of their mountain and take an elevator to the top. (These people are very smart, but may be missing the point. You know the saying "you get what you give".) In the last 10 years, I have gotten to know my personal mountain very well, and have become dedicated and infatuated with "the climb". It can be patronizing to be in a job one is over-qulaified for and this is part of the struggle; over-coming the self-pride and ego. But, the most important thing is the all-important end goal. Keeping your eye on the prize is the only way to get there.

Remember the Little Engine That Could? "I think I can, I think I can", etc. . . This is the way I have often felt on the way to the top except it has actually been my Mother's words that have been my driving force. "Never forget your dreams, and always know you can be anything you want to be". I wonder if she'll ever know how important those words have been to me.

On my trek up the hill I have had a few ideas of "what I want to be when I grow up". I guess part of knowing that you can do anything you want makes it difficult to hone in on that one right thing. I happen to know a lot of people of my generation who have that same affliction. But finally after some trials, and important life lessons I find myself back in school to become a hairdresser. Anyone who knows the hair industry will tell you that the education part of it is all backwards. In most cases, you would go to school full-time for a year or so and then, if you work at a high-end salon, you would apprentice for another year in that salon. It really doesn't make sense. The only true reason you are paying $14-$16,000 for school is to be able to pass your state board test and become a "licensed" hair dresser. Problem is that just being licensed doesn't mean much to most of the really talented people out there. They know that being licensed doesn't mean you are good. And thus the reason for the apprenticeship in the salon. In essence I am saying that where you go to school is really not as important. More important is the in-salon training you receive which along with your drive and motivation will determine how good you really become.

Today I have reached a new destination in my climb. I was hired at The Salon to begin their apprentice program. The Salon is, from what I can tell, probably the most successful chain of salons in the Denver area. Directly attributed to their success is their rigorous 10-phase training program. The director of my school has told me to be prepared for 70 hour weeks while completing their program. It's tough to get through, but anything that's tough can only make you better. Someone in my position, who has been climbing for so long is literally salivating at the mouth for success. Don't think for a second that this girl isn't ready for any challenge, or any amount of hard work this apprenticeship might bring. I can see it, taste it, and wow the sense of triumph is staggering! This, people is my arrival.

So thank you Mom. And thanks to my best friend, and biggest supporter BenJammin. Thanks to my girlfriends who convinced me that I am not a loser whenever those questions entered my brain. Thanks to Ms. Aguilar who gave me a solid foundation to work from. And for anyone who forgot-you all have a mountain to climb. All you have to do is engage it. You don't have to be stuck in one gloomy spot. There is always another place to be, you have the whole mountain to explore!

Blogging and Bloodletting

First things first. There are a million amazing writers blogging out there! I have had this account for a few years, but really just starting to take in, or rather get sucked into this whole blogging culture. I for one do not consider myself to be an amazing writer. And in my heart o' hearts do not believe that anyone besides my friends or family will read my blog. However I also do not believe there is anything wrong with imagining that I am the most amazing writer and I should absolutely put these skills to use in a blog!

If there are a handful of you that did check out my blog in the past week you will notice it has changed a bit. While playing pretend writer is very amusing and entertaining for me, I feel that there should be some useful information here as well. Being that I am in the developing stages of my very real hairdressing career it seemed logical to somehow Integrate those topics I am learning into the writing. Afterall, this will surely help to learn it, no? I cannot justify having a blog and typing thoughts and opinions that no one reads, but I can justify blogging for the purpose of learning. YES! That's it, I'm doing this to learn!!!! Thus the new title of my blog. It has a purpose now, and I think my blog feels a lot better having a purpose in its' life. But I will continue posting pictures and it won't be ALL about hair, so hopefully my friends and family will keep visiting.


So, Now I am right in the middle of a testing phase for school. The nice thing is that during these testing phases we do not have to go to school for the week. The bad part is that all of the testing is done on-line so I am stuck in front of the computer for hours on end, feeling a little bit like a graphic designer again.

This struck me as very interesting, and something I think many people may not know about the hair industry. Up until the 19th century barbers were also known to perform minor surgeries and other medical procedures. The woman I worked for in the mountains was full-blooded Native American. Her grandmother was a hairdresser and it was not uncommon for her to work with the tribe's medicine man.

Bloodletting was a procedure that was once thought to strengthen the immune system. The traditional barber surgeon pole represents the staff that the patient would hold onto tightly in order to make their veins protrude. The bottom end cap represents the basin used to catch the blood. After the procedure was done, white bandages were used to stop the bleeding. The bandages were then hung outside on the pole to dry. As these bandages blew in the wind and twisted around the pole they formed the red and white candy-cane-like pattern. Funny that the pole stuck even though the procedure didn't. (I don't know about anyone else but I am glad it didn't)The modern pole has three colors: white symbolizing the towels, red symbolizing the blood, and the blue symbolizing the veins.