Hair and Humility

Oh heavens. I just remembered this story and I am laughing and haven’t even started writing. A few weeks ago a woman came with her husband into the shop where I work to buy an apple. (I work at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we sell like 35 kinds of CARAMEL apples…so when I say apple, I don’t just mean something Granny Smith pulled off a tree…these are some serious fruit snacks.)The woman was very put-together and had just finished what appeared to have been a pretty major shopping trip with her not-so-thrilled husband. I offered her a sample (as we do with every customer) and she, in what I’m sure was her sweetest voice ever, said, “Who does your eyebrows?”

Ok. You have to know a few things. I could not be more ignorant when it comes to anything “beauty” related. I happen to be sort of good at putting on eye-shadow, but as far as the upkeep of the latest hairstyles, shoes, major fashion trends, or in this case-eyebrows—FORGET IT. Any success I may have in those areas is honestly a mistake. I’m that pitiful girl that tries to keep up and gets so excited when I get something that’s “in style” usually to find out that I’m a year or two late on the trend wagon. (Side note: On top of that I have enormous feet so the once cute size 5’s end up looking like vacation yachts on my size 12 feet. Anyhow…that’s another basket of family jokes.)

That same week, the Lord had been teaching me SO much about humility… (Philippians 2 rocks my face off)…and just not being so concerned with material things and the way I look, etc, etc. So you can imagine that when I walked through the doors at the chocolate factory that night thinking I should have been winning an award for the amazing hair night I was having (I mean seriously…not a trace of frizz) the good Lord just couldn't pass up an opportunity to teach me another lesson.

LADY: “Who does your eyebrows?”
*ME Confused…Did she just ask about my eyebrows?: “I’m sorry?”
LADY: “Who does your eyebrows? (A little closer to my face) Did you do them?”
*ME Shocked and Hesitant: “Um, no one, yeah I did.” (Thought to self—a good hair day, and complement on my brows…maybe I should go to beauty school?)
LADY (Moment of truth): “Honey you did them wrong. They do not look good. They are not even.”

***Suddenly I hated that rule about the customer always being right.***

*ME Covering up my poor beauty skills: (Quick who else can you blame for this beauty tragedy?!?!?) “Oh well, a friend of my did them at camp, and I’ve just kept them the same…so I guess I’ll have her fix them.”

***Oh please, that was a one-time deal over 6 years ago, I’m pretty sure I’ve plucked a few hairs (apparently too many on one side) since then.***

LADY: “I’m a beautician…I could fix those for you. Or you should just go next door [we are next to a salon] and have Brenda do it. She really is the best—I know she could fix that for you. But you really should have that fixed.” (Was the emphasis on really necessary?)

..So not only did I fail my daily humility test by boasting about my frizz-free locks…now I gotta read up on blatantly lying, hateful thoughts, (and after my co-worker venting session)…gossip. Oh, and she didn't even buy an apple.