Yesterday I went to get my bi-weekly manicure, which is always a relatively enjoyable experience, but considering I can never quite plan out my timings I decided to go to a different nail salon than the one I usually go hoping to make it to lunch in time —
Newsflash: I did not make it to lunch in time.
While this scenario is not really a problem it did pose the very uncomfortable problem of having to interact with a whole new nail tech, one who didn’t know that I gravitate towards glitter polish, or that I only started wearing acrylic because a lady commented on how I have “baby hands,” and this led me to an anxiety-ridden sloppy monologue in my head that I rehearsed about two times before my nail tech arrived at the table. He was a nicely groomed man, clad in about five shades of blue named Kyle, and the first thing he asked me was why I didn’t want to get the dipped powder.
To be honest, I didn’t really know why, other than I had never done it, and I just wasn’t feeling explorative, so I settled with an awkward chuckle and “maybe next time, but thank you.” I know this story seems like a mundane recollection of a Saturday afternoon, and to an extent, it is, but talking to Kyle reminded me of the good decisions we make in life.
We talked about quite a bit in part because he said to me, “why don’t you say anything,” but also because he was just a cool dude. At some point, he asked me what I was studying, and after telling him I was on a path towards a graduate degree in English Literature he smiled, and asked, “is it something you have a passion for?”
I mean, I was feeling lighthearted, but also lightheaded because of the acetone, and couldn’t help but respond in that I-met-you-for-the-second-time-in-a-cafe-rom-com-main-actress way, shy smile, soft voice, adoration clear in a borderline dumb way.
Kyle seemed to be really happy for me, and he in turn, pulled out his phone and started showing me his very-intricate nail designs that he had done for various clients. Sure it might have been a marketing technique on his part, but the man was committed to his art, and he was good at it.
I couldn’t help but ask him how long he had been a nail tech, and he said he dabbled in it when he was 12, but he had been doing it for about 20 years as a professional, and he didn’t really have to tell me he was passionate because that was evident in the extravagance of his work.
This guy had put lights in acrylic nails for a client who was going to a rave, and had done a gold-leaf marbled set for another. It was amazing, and he was amazing, and I think Kyle really embodied what, “loving what you do,” looks like. Yesterday was an interesting day, and Kyle, my very talented nail tech, reminded me of the power of being committed to something you love.
