If you can stand to get through this, there may be a point to it

I got my haircut yesterday.  It has been a long time since the last one.  Way too long.  I go to Holiday Hair, which is a local chain.  I try to get the same person to cut it, but the wait is usually too long, so I go with whoever is available and take my chances.  I don't mess with my hair, but if it isn't cut right, it can be a huge hassle.  I've had cuts that have made me look like George Washington.  One that made me resemble Barbara Bush.  I didn't like that.  I have learned that in getting my coffee at Dunkin Donuts, it is really simple to just say, "large coffee, light and sweet."  After years of doing this, I have gotten to the point where I can say it without stuttering and stammering.  The other day, I mixed it up and ordered a pumpkin spice coffee.  What a mess that was.  What was supposed to sound like, "hello, I would like a large pumpkin spice coffee...light and sweet", came out as "plufkin,er...goo...ahh" or something close to that.  It wasn't pretty.  We finally got it figured out and I got my coffee.  At any rate, the point is that I am not a good talker.  But we digress.  Back to my hair.  I have gotten to the point where I say that I want my hair cut real short on the sides and the back, but leave it a bit longer in the front and the top.  I have a forehead like a playground slide.  Big and shiny and I don't want to see it all, so that is why I don't want it cut super short.  So here it is.  The sequence of events.  "Wow, your hair got long."  "I know, it took me a long time to get here."  "How do you want it cut?"  "plufkin,er...goo.ahh!"  "What?"  "Shortonthesidesandbacklongeronthetopandfront. Whew!"  "Ok...are you alright?"  "I don't know."  Anyhoo, the cutting begins and we start talking.  Of course, being a runner the conversation eventually turns into me talking about the marathon.  I think it took about 30 seconds.  Her, "pretty nice day."  Me, "yep...do you know what it is supposed to be like this weekend?"  Her, "I'm not sure.  Are you doing anything special?"  Haha, she fell into to the trap quickly.  Me, "I'm running a marathon."  For the next half hour that is all we talked about.  She asked me questions.  Even though she is not a runner, she knew a lot about hydration and race time nutrition.  I told her how I am so stuck in the '70's that I am not good about the whole hydration and fueling thing and she pretty much told me that I was stupid and I told her that my friends feel the same way about me being stupid.  Then she asked me why I was doing it.  If I was doing it for a reason.  The marathon, that is.  I said I was running for personal goals, but that I was raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  That my friend's wife had died recently of leukemia and it just seemed the right thing to do right now.  It was a brief conversation and then we went back to my hair.  We laughed because I had some wild ear hair and my eyebrows seemed to be sprouting out as she cut them.  I told her that she really needs to watch out for my nose hair.  She said that she would take care of the ear hair and eyebrows, but I'm on my own with the nose situation.

When I was done, I went up to the counter to pay.  She told me to hold on a minute.  She fussed around at her station for a bit and then came up and took my money.  When I went to leave, she handed me a five dollar bill and said it was for my fundraising effort.  I thanked her profusely and started to walk out but turned back and asked her last name so I could give her credit on my fundraising page.  She told me it wasn't important and thanked me.  She didn't need the recognition.  So, Tina from Holiday Hair in Forks Township...thank you for your donation.  It was totally unexpected and totally appreciated.  It made my day.