Maggie Rants [and Raves]

Would You Have Ever Guessed?

by Maggie Franklin | November 21, 2008 | Bookmark +

It’s true. I’m shy. Not just shy, mind you, but pretty much terrified of social interaction. I compensate with narcissism. I don’t know why my clients put up with me.

 

Today I accompanied my mother to a doctor’s appointment in nearby Selma, Calif. — a small town about half an hour north of us that claims its fame as “the raisin capital of the world.”

 

Shortly after mom was called in to see the doctor, his nurse returned to the waiting room to inform me that Mom said I could go get coffee or something because, as it turned out, she was going to be a while. So I shrugged and took a drive back to the downtown area.

 

Aside from the raisin thing, Selma has existed as pretty much just that pit stop on Highway 99 between Visalia and Fresno for, well, pretty much all my life. I’ve never had the occasion to casually tour the town for any reason — until today.

 

I parked in the downtown area and walked over to Heavenly Grounds for a cup of coffee where I was warmly greeted by three elderly gentlemen who seemed to be just hanging out, talking baseball. The lady at the counter also greeted me warmly and gladly made me a Frappuccino-like concoction called an “Avalanche” when I asked for something unique to her business.

 

The gentlemen were quite disappointed that I wasn’t going to be joining them for their conversation, but I bid them adieu and proceeded to wander the downtown.

 

I walked around the block and passed by no less than five salons, two of which had sandwich board signs on the sidewalk offering special prices for a full set of nails and assuring the passerby that walk-ins were welcome.

 

I don’t really like having other people do my nails — it’s the primary reason I landed in the biz myself — but I desperately wanted to stop in and talk shop. But I didn’t. Too self-conscious. I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and I’d had to be out of bed by 7:30 this morning in order to get Mom to her appointment on time. I wasn’t dressed my best — for that matter, I’m almost never dressed well enough to feel up to scrutiny by my peers. Since I caught my finger in the front door, I have managed to get the product off of that nail and now it looks disgusting as everyone at the salon continues to debate whether or not I’ll lose the nail entirely. The remaining four nails that were done are now hacked off and in a state of partial preparation for total removal. The left hand is still naked, and not well-manicured at that.

 

And what am I going to say? “Hi, my name is Maggie. I do nails in Visalia. Perhaps you’ve seen me on the Internet?" <flash cheesy grin> How would that go over if I happened into your workday?

 

No. I’ll just keep walking.

 

For the record, if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood when I’m in the salon, come on in and chat! I love meeting other nail techs and talking nails. And, for the girls at “Shop Talk” in Selma, Calif., who were wondering who the strange lady who kept peering inside the shop like a stray puppy was: Your salon is very inviting, with the cute graphics on the windows, fun name, door open on a beautiful day, and everyone inside laughing while they work. Just the kind of place that makes me want to come in and say “hi.”

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