Red Sage

I remember the first person I talked to in hair school...Maria.  To me, she seemed rather shy until I got to know her.  We were in the same class - Wilfred Academy, September of 1980.  That was the first school I went to that I actually enjoyed.  I remember sitting in a classroom, looking around a class full of kids with really bad hair, not to mention the worst hair of all was the director standing in the front of the room.  Why I  let him cut my hair, I will never know since I think my haircut was similar to his.  It was kind of like James Brown's hair back in the day.  In fact, every time my one friend walked  past me she would yell "ow, get on the good foot!"  (Those of you born after 1980 will not get this reference)  OK, now I'm off track...A.D.D?  Back to my friend Maria.
    
We became fast friends and we went through so much together.  Since then, she has been developing her hair salon business while I have been developing mine.  We have shared business strategies through the years and compared notes along the way.  It has been years since I had seen her as commitments and time have put distance between us.  I read a while ago that Maria's salon had a billboard on I-95.  I hadn't realized that she even moved her salon and opened up Red Sage - a day spa in the Northeast.
   
I had been thinking of her lately and the first time I went on I-95 and saw her "larger than life" salon, I felt really proud of her.  We shared many dreams and goals when we were kids and to see it recognized was pretty cool.
    
Last night, I went up to the Tiffany Diner to meet my parents who just flew in for my nephew's graduation.  As I was racing up I-95, I saw the billboard again and it reminded me to get in touch with my old friend.  I am always up for suggestions, and it seemed like she was doing something right.  Maybe she could give me some pointers.  I told myself I would get in touch with her on Facebook next week and see how she was.
    
I went to my nephew Harris's graduation and we were all so proud when he won The Founder's Award.  I sat in the audience and listened to the speakers giving advice to the class of 2011.  "Follow your dreams and go as far as you can imagine".  I thought of myself back in school and remembered the look I had in my eye when my director said the same thing.  After the ceremony, we went to a restaurant near the school to celebrate Harris's graduation and 18th birthday.  I haven't taken off work on a Friday in a while and when I do, I am usually thinking about what's going on in the salon when I'm not there.  I didn't have that feeling today.  I felt lucky to have a special occasion that brought my family together.
    
As we turned the corner to the restaurant, I noticed that next door to it was a salon.  Of course it was Red Sage!  I walked over and opened up the the door to a beautiful, high-energy, very busy salon.  I saw Jackie first, and next to her was Maria and then Loretta all working on clients.  Maria thought I was a customer at first, I guess not recognizing my newly brown hair.  A second later when she knew it was me, she said "Oh my god Wendy, come over here and give me a hug!" She showed me her spa and we talked for a few minutes.  I went back to the restaurant assuring her we would see each other soon.
    
I just read this to my niece, who is way smarter than me.  I like to get her opinion when I write because she sees a clear picture of things and is truthful, so criticism is taken only as constructive.  Well, she told me that I didn't have an ending - something to pull the story together.  She asked why I wanted to write about this particular story today and thought it could possibly be the correlation between Harris starting the next chapter of his life and when I first started mine.  "Yes", I said, "you are probably right".  I just wanted to write about seeing my old friend and congratulate her success.  There are no coincidences...the story will continue.
W

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