Inside/Out

Relax! After taking a moment to look at what the universe is trying to tell me, I can see that it is saying, "calm down." For someone who tries not to make too much out of a New Year I sure know how to spin something into a bigger deal than it actually is.

Thursday.

In one of the many (over)developing areas of whoville is a tiny solitude in a warehouse style building. Past the mailboxes and offices is a space transformed. Once you walk through the door you enter her world and reap the benefits of her expertise. She is that space. No one else works there and if I'm kept waiting I don't mind since it's a great place to relax on the couch or in the big easy chair and flip through gardening and renovation magazines.
While the space might be small it feels much larger and is divided up nicely, maintaining that openess. The height of the ceilings help give the room it's illusion of something larger and the windows that are almost as high as the ceiling are draped in an off white canvas that opens from both the top and the bottom like a Roman blind. The windows allow enough light into the room so there's very little need for artificial lighting most of the day. There's a staggered forest of bamboo poles coming out of curved cement forms that act as dividers in the room. A fish tank circulates the sound of water. Tea service from the tray next to the tank begins every visit. Green tea is the typical brew, but sometimes it's infused with other aromas. She's usually seated behind her half-moon shaped desk, a remnant from a factory that looks like a wooden cog and now it's been turned into something new. She ushers you to the central chair and swivels you around to look in the full length mirror while she stands behind you and starts to work. I know it's only a haircut, but it feels like so much more.
The woman who opened this salon use to work in a much more traditional style space with the noise, pace and smells of what we all recognize as a hair salon. Eventually she became unhappy there. Once she decided to go out on her own, she went for her dream, which is this place I described above. Sure there are days when it feels like business as usual and I'm just getting my haircut, but sometimes the energy is just right, the room invites you in and our conversation flows easily. Yesterday was one of those days and boy was it just what I needed.
A haircut and so much more. She also is inspiration, a reminder to go after your dream(s) and how you envision your life as you want it to be so that it has a positive effect for yourself and others.