While I seriously doubt that anyone reading this blog is a nail tech, if you happen to know someone who is, you might want to give them the web address for my blog because I am about to lay some advice down for anyone doing nails. Nail techs - LISTEN UP!!!! God gave you the ability to hear things that only other nail techs and dogs can hear. You also know exactly the volume that your voice needs to be at for both American's and other nail techs to hear you. For American's you speak at a 12 volume level. For other nail techs you speak at a -2 volume level. It's a gift! Continue to use it with care.
What you shouldn't do is be overly chatty with someone who came in equipped with a book, an Ipod and a smart phone to insure that she would not have to make polite conversation with anyone!!! Earbuds are a dead give away that a person does not want to make conversation with you! When they pick up their smart phone and start furiously texting everyone in their contact list, that's another indicator. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!
There are several things that are sort of weird about this. First, the nail tech in question was a man. Men aren't generally that chatty, at least not with me. (Hell, I can hardly ever get them to say a damn thing to me!) Second, he seemed compelled to initiate conversation about things that even he admitted most American's don't want to talk about. He said to me.... "American's never want to talk about politics." Then he did five minutes straight with no reply from me on politics. In case you are wondering, he is of the belief that we don't want to talk about politics because the politicians don't listen to us anyway. He could be right. But he believes that this is all the more reason for us to express our opinions to the politicians. Again, he may be on to something.
Additionally, he believes we do not want to discuss religion. I don't mind discussing religion. But I do prefer that you agree with all of my opinions on the matter. It's just easier that way. So, I don't know where he was going with that....
Other topics we hit upon included his previous jobs - for the record they are auto mechanic and chef. He liked being an auto mechanic and would have liked being a chef if the hours weren't so bad. In seven years he apparently never saw sunlight. We also discussed my current lack of a job. That was a fun topic. Then he told me if he could be anything he wanted, he would be a teacher. He thinks it is a very noble profession. I agreed with him but confided that I couldn't do it. I just don't have the patience. He tried to convince me that I could. According to him it is just a matter of "training the children correctly". I told him that I didn't think their parents or the state of Texas would approve of my "training" methods. He gave me a very confused look at that point.
He also expressed his opinions on what is wrong with the education system. In case you were wondering he says it has to do with the way teachers have to teach to the lowest common denominator so that the students who are capable of excelling don't. He talked about how smart American's used to be 50 years ago but about how he perceives that other countries are passing us by now. To my teacher friends - these are not my opinions, I am just telling you what he said. But you must agree that he was fairly perceptive on other topics..... I'm just saying.....
Then he told me about his son who is 17 and who has been raised in a very strict household. His son is very studious and hardworking. I don't doubt it. He also told me about his youngest son who will be born within the next week or so. I congratulated him on that. He thinks they will raise the new son the same way they raised the first one. I agreed that it was probably a good idea.
He talked about when he was a kid going home from school every afternoon and watching Scooby Doo and getting up on Saturday morning to watch Tom and Jerry. I said that Bugs Bunny was my favorite. He talked about the crummy cartoons that kids watch today and wondered why they watch them. I have often wondered the same thing.
Then he told me the most interesting thing of all. He told me about his first few weeks after he moved to America. He told me about being this shy little Vietnamese kid who spoke broken English and how great everything was here. He said that about a week after they moved here it was Halloween and he saw all the other kids with their costumes and someone told him that if you wore a costume you could get candy, so he went home and cut holes in a bag and put it over his head and went from house to house with the other kids. He said he got more candy than he had ever seen in his whole life. Then at the end of the night one of the kids told him to go to this house with them and there a nice lady invited the shy little boy into the house with the other kids. She gave them all toys to take home. He went home and told his parents that America was the greatest place in the world. Then he talked about how sad it is that kids can't just do that anymore. It's okay to cry now.... I did.
I guess he had something to say. And maybe it did me some good to hear it. Sometimes we take what we have for granted - like a country where we can talk as much as we want and can express our opinions to anyone who will listen (or sometimes even when they don't listen that carefully). Maybe next time I go to get a pedicure, I'll just leave the earbuds at home. Go listen to someone and have a great day!
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