Dear Helga Delano,
Thanks for your comment on "The love affair" post. Like you, I love a good book and I am always on the look out for the next gripping novel. Read on as you may find inspiration for your next read!
My strategy of what books to read is very random. And I like that.
I only read books that are recommended by a close friend or borrowed from their personal libraries. I rarely just pick one off the shop shelf and see what its like and I never buy a bestseller, just because it's a hit.
As a consequence, I read very eclectic books. I steer clear of fantasy and sci-fi although I have tried them, but apart from this I read anything. I always ask people to lend me books, as somehow this connects me with them and we enter into a new shared experience.
Right now I have five new books in my bag, I have been traveling for a week, and seemed to have accumulated them from various people, following various conversations.
So what are they..........
1. The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra. A business book with a spiritual twist I am guessing. Given to me by a friend who after a dinner conversation about life, leadership and meaning, said that I may find it interesting.
2. The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson. A novel about the jealousy and rivalry of brothers set in Ontario, Canada. Given to me by a friend who loves reading a good story as much as I do.
3. The Buddha, Geoff and Me by Edward Canfor-Dumas. A novel about a man having a hard time at work and in love, meeting a Buddhist who begins to change his life. Given to me by a friend who read my blog about Theravadan monks and thought I would enjoy it.
4. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I have no clue what this is about, but I have been told it's addictive and raunchy. Mmmmmm, let's see what's in store here! This I bought myself, following at least three people recommending it to me, as I want to understand why this book was sweeping the world!
5. Travel guide to Nova Scotia. Title says it all.
The problem is that I have not started any of them yet and I am really at a loss on which one to read first.
Help anyone?????
Wigs are like trousers at Zara
Let me tell you the wig choosing process is a whole new experience. It can also be a lot of fun. Like everything, it's all about how you approach the task.
I will not lie and say it was always fun, but it got increasingly fun, the more I got comfortable with my condition of alopecia. The first thing is to go to a place you feel comfortable with. How I found "my" place is another story for another time. But once you have found your place, the first step is to call them and tell them roughly what you are looking for. I am never too specific about my wishes, as I believe these people know styles and fashions best. I tend to give indications of colour and length, but not always.
Where I go, is also a regular hair salon, this means lots of comings and goings, coffee bringing, hairspray spraying and masses of little pieces of tinfoil. This business is relevant as sometimes despite being placed in a discreet corner with viewing protection, some old lady on her passage to the toilet, might drop her jaw at the sight of a female bald head. Clearly those things didn’t happen in her day! You have to be ok with that, otherwise the next few hours will be torturous.
So once you have gotten comfortable in your seat, the fashion show begins. Wig after wig is placed on your head, mirrors flashed around to give optimal viewing and if you are lucky, the hairdresser serving you will offer an opinion. I always enjoy this part as it's great to get an honest opinion on whether red hair really suits!
My experience is that in about 10 styles, 3-4 wigs are good. Once the choice has been reduced, the real fitting begins. Wigs are a bit like trousers at Zara. They are all made with extra length. They actually fit everybody but really fit nobody. The same is with the fringe on wigs. It's always a few centimeters too long, so that it can be cut to the perfect length and fringe type. Makes sense really, but it took me a while to understand it.
Then the wig is set perfectly on the head and then cut to size. And that's all there is to it.
Today however a complexity arose that hadn't been there before.
As the fringe hair was being trimmed, it kept landing in my eyes. This lead, somewhat unusually, to huge eye irritation. My eyes went bloodshot and kept watering. I could not understand what was happening. Then it dawned on me why.
The difference from last time was my lack of eyelashes. Crap. Those little hairs on the eye lids are so damn handy. They keep all sorts out of unwanted things out of the eyes, including many tiny little freshly cut hairs.
That said, this did not fluster my lovely hairdresser. He did not make a fuss and he put the wig on the head mannequin that was used to model the wigs and he began trimming away. I have to say; even for me this occurrence looked a little odd. There, shoved between a gentleman's thighs, was my future hair, on a styrofoam head. It was balanced perfectly between his knees, so that he could happily hack away at the length, clearly completely oblivious to how weird this looked to anyone around him.
I could barely suppress a chuckle as this was an inner moment of hilarity for me. I am not sure anyone else noticed and if they did, they certainly did not find this mildly odd.
Strange how it is possible to find hilarity in odd and unusual situations, yet no one else sees it this way. It shows that personal experience has everything to do with how we see the world. Our own experiences really do shape what we see and how we see it.
As a result of this shop, I bought three new models, ready for the moment I am courageous enough to brave them. It's never easy switching styles, especially when you go from short to long, but it is fun!
So, today let me ask, when did you last have an inner and very personal moment of hilarity?
I will not lie and say it was always fun, but it got increasingly fun, the more I got comfortable with my condition of alopecia. The first thing is to go to a place you feel comfortable with. How I found "my" place is another story for another time. But once you have found your place, the first step is to call them and tell them roughly what you are looking for. I am never too specific about my wishes, as I believe these people know styles and fashions best. I tend to give indications of colour and length, but not always.
Where I go, is also a regular hair salon, this means lots of comings and goings, coffee bringing, hairspray spraying and masses of little pieces of tinfoil. This business is relevant as sometimes despite being placed in a discreet corner with viewing protection, some old lady on her passage to the toilet, might drop her jaw at the sight of a female bald head. Clearly those things didn’t happen in her day! You have to be ok with that, otherwise the next few hours will be torturous.
So once you have gotten comfortable in your seat, the fashion show begins. Wig after wig is placed on your head, mirrors flashed around to give optimal viewing and if you are lucky, the hairdresser serving you will offer an opinion. I always enjoy this part as it's great to get an honest opinion on whether red hair really suits!
My experience is that in about 10 styles, 3-4 wigs are good. Once the choice has been reduced, the real fitting begins. Wigs are a bit like trousers at Zara. They are all made with extra length. They actually fit everybody but really fit nobody. The same is with the fringe on wigs. It's always a few centimeters too long, so that it can be cut to the perfect length and fringe type. Makes sense really, but it took me a while to understand it.
Then the wig is set perfectly on the head and then cut to size. And that's all there is to it.
Today however a complexity arose that hadn't been there before.
As the fringe hair was being trimmed, it kept landing in my eyes. This lead, somewhat unusually, to huge eye irritation. My eyes went bloodshot and kept watering. I could not understand what was happening. Then it dawned on me why.
The difference from last time was my lack of eyelashes. Crap. Those little hairs on the eye lids are so damn handy. They keep all sorts out of unwanted things out of the eyes, including many tiny little freshly cut hairs.
That said, this did not fluster my lovely hairdresser. He did not make a fuss and he put the wig on the head mannequin that was used to model the wigs and he began trimming away. I have to say; even for me this occurrence looked a little odd. There, shoved between a gentleman's thighs, was my future hair, on a styrofoam head. It was balanced perfectly between his knees, so that he could happily hack away at the length, clearly completely oblivious to how weird this looked to anyone around him.
I could barely suppress a chuckle as this was an inner moment of hilarity for me. I am not sure anyone else noticed and if they did, they certainly did not find this mildly odd.
Strange how it is possible to find hilarity in odd and unusual situations, yet no one else sees it this way. It shows that personal experience has everything to do with how we see the world. Our own experiences really do shape what we see and how we see it.
As a result of this shop, I bought three new models, ready for the moment I am courageous enough to brave them. It's never easy switching styles, especially when you go from short to long, but it is fun!
So, today let me ask, when did you last have an inner and very personal moment of hilarity?
Little girls in pajamas
We were ready to go to bed, our nighttime rituals had been completed. Then cheekily my youngest said "Can we go round the block on our bikes?".
My motherly reaction kicked in, explaning it was late and that they already had their pajamas on, you get the picture.
And then for some reason, unbeknownst to me, I said "OK, lets go!".
The kids rapidly jumped up, before crazy mummy could change her mind. They grabbed their shoes and their bike helmets and we were off. They both wore their pajamas with pride as they pedalled like little tornados round the block.
Less than 10 minutes later, we were back in the house, breathless and on our way to bed.
Everyone was happy and that bit of mischief settled them both beautifully.
It was a harmless crazy moment. Full of fun, adventure and a little mischief. So the question I will leave you to ponder is......
When was the last time you did something a little naughty, your equivalent to biking in pajamas?
My motherly reaction kicked in, explaning it was late and that they already had their pajamas on, you get the picture.
And then for some reason, unbeknownst to me, I said "OK, lets go!".
The kids rapidly jumped up, before crazy mummy could change her mind. They grabbed their shoes and their bike helmets and we were off. They both wore their pajamas with pride as they pedalled like little tornados round the block.
Less than 10 minutes later, we were back in the house, breathless and on our way to bed.
Everyone was happy and that bit of mischief settled them both beautifully.
It was a harmless crazy moment. Full of fun, adventure and a little mischief. So the question I will leave you to ponder is......
When was the last time you did something a little naughty, your equivalent to biking in pajamas?
Why do monks shave their hair?
Dear "Cuttlefisher"
Thank you for your comment on my "Can I ask you a personal question?" post.
I am extremely envious that you have a Theravadan Buddhist monk in your family. I can only begin to imagine family dinner conversations.
However, as envious as I may have been, I was actually even more curious about them and pertinent to my blog, why do they indeed shave their heads.
Luckily with the help of the internet I was able to find some explanations that satisfied my need for information. So I figured I would share what I found out, however I can not confirm that this is indeed true. Was that a good disclaimer or what!
So the first theory I uncovered was around vanity. Shaving the head and even eyebrows is to help the monks lose their vanity associated with hair, as vanity is seen as negative and unproductive.
The second theory suggests that head shaving shows the monks' commitment to the holy life, and that they have gone forth into the homeless life to live amongst a community of monks.
The third and final theory I read is that shaving the head is a symbol to show the removal of all attachments and ego. This is somewhat similar to theory one.
So that summarizes the entirety of my research. So dear Cuttlefisher, if you or your Uncle would like to shed any light onto this subject or indeed correct my theories, I would be more than happy to post your words.
I don't think I am able to draw any real parallels to my own condition, and I do have to confess that Buddhism is a subject that I know little about.
Though what is clear, is that I find Buddhism truly fascinating. Therefore, you can expect a future post on this subject. As it happens, I am currently reading a book about calming the mind, that a colleague kindly left on my desk. This came as a result of a corridor conversation about craziness in the workplace. So expect to hear more about the learnings of that book another time.
Thank you Cuttlefisher for your comment, keep them coming,
Yours beautifully,
BBB
Thank you for your comment on my "Can I ask you a personal question?" post.
I am extremely envious that you have a Theravadan Buddhist monk in your family. I can only begin to imagine family dinner conversations.
However, as envious as I may have been, I was actually even more curious about them and pertinent to my blog, why do they indeed shave their heads.
Luckily with the help of the internet I was able to find some explanations that satisfied my need for information. So I figured I would share what I found out, however I can not confirm that this is indeed true. Was that a good disclaimer or what!
So the first theory I uncovered was around vanity. Shaving the head and even eyebrows is to help the monks lose their vanity associated with hair, as vanity is seen as negative and unproductive.
The second theory suggests that head shaving shows the monks' commitment to the holy life, and that they have gone forth into the homeless life to live amongst a community of monks.
The third and final theory I read is that shaving the head is a symbol to show the removal of all attachments and ego. This is somewhat similar to theory one.
So that summarizes the entirety of my research. So dear Cuttlefisher, if you or your Uncle would like to shed any light onto this subject or indeed correct my theories, I would be more than happy to post your words.
I don't think I am able to draw any real parallels to my own condition, and I do have to confess that Buddhism is a subject that I know little about.
Though what is clear, is that I find Buddhism truly fascinating. Therefore, you can expect a future post on this subject. As it happens, I am currently reading a book about calming the mind, that a colleague kindly left on my desk. This came as a result of a corridor conversation about craziness in the workplace. So expect to hear more about the learnings of that book another time.
Thank you Cuttlefisher for your comment, keep them coming,
Yours beautifully,
BBB
A slice of humanity
There is something quite special about train stations and airports.
I guess as I have been through a lot of them recently, my awareness to these locations has become somewhat heightened. I have begun to notice a trend in my sensations as I arrive in the building. It is one of anticipation and excitement, not on a grand scale, but these emotions are present.
I find myself very observant in these places, I enjoy looking at what people are doing there. Are they happily awaiting a loved one? Are they angry because of a delay? Or maybe they are full of sadness due to a pending departure of someone they may never see again?
Every person has a story, every person is full of their own emotion, and every one has a very deliberate reason for being in that place, at that time.
It is impossible to know what someone is going through as they stand and stare at the timetable or the arrivals screen. The same way as it is impossible to know what your spouse or children are feeling as they stand next to you looking at those very same screens.
All I know is that you cannot be unaffected in these places. Something is happening around you, something is happening inside of you, something private and complex and something that is linked to a strong emotion. Whatever it is, it is something. Something quite wonderful.
It is a reminder that we are alive and that we are linked into a much bigger story than we realize. We are linked with a sense of home or a sense of obligation, or a spider’s web of love. It is something we have never tried to understand nor ever even need to. But for a few short seconds, we get a snapshot of the role we play in a larger world.
So next time you go to an airport or train station, to drop of your mum, or leave on an international business trip, take a few moments to look around and glance at a slice of humanity.
I promise you, it is quite beautiful!
I guess as I have been through a lot of them recently, my awareness to these locations has become somewhat heightened. I have begun to notice a trend in my sensations as I arrive in the building. It is one of anticipation and excitement, not on a grand scale, but these emotions are present.
I find myself very observant in these places, I enjoy looking at what people are doing there. Are they happily awaiting a loved one? Are they angry because of a delay? Or maybe they are full of sadness due to a pending departure of someone they may never see again?
Every person has a story, every person is full of their own emotion, and every one has a very deliberate reason for being in that place, at that time.
It is impossible to know what someone is going through as they stand and stare at the timetable or the arrivals screen. The same way as it is impossible to know what your spouse or children are feeling as they stand next to you looking at those very same screens.
All I know is that you cannot be unaffected in these places. Something is happening around you, something is happening inside of you, something private and complex and something that is linked to a strong emotion. Whatever it is, it is something. Something quite wonderful.
It is a reminder that we are alive and that we are linked into a much bigger story than we realize. We are linked with a sense of home or a sense of obligation, or a spider’s web of love. It is something we have never tried to understand nor ever even need to. But for a few short seconds, we get a snapshot of the role we play in a larger world.
So next time you go to an airport or train station, to drop of your mum, or leave on an international business trip, take a few moments to look around and glance at a slice of humanity.
I promise you, it is quite beautiful!
May I ask you a personal question?
So that's how the conversation started. A simple but very pertinent question. "Have you had chemotherapy?" she continued.
The question came from a stranger, a lady about my age, with a full head of hair, she was someone who was working at the airport whilst I was passing through. Someone with whom my interaction would normally be about 30 seconds. However she looked at me and the question just flew off her lips. I am not sure she even realized she had spoken it out loud.
My first reaction was oh my god do I look ill, pale, fragile and then I realized, I was wearing my cute little cap on my head and not my "hair".
A little taken aback by her directness, I felt compelled to answer.
I explained that I had alopecia, an auto immune disease that comes from nowhere. She was intrigued and very curious to understand more as she had never heard of alopecia before that moment. I felt the need to comfort her, to tell her that it was not so bad and absolutely no comparison to cancer. Its funny that I felt the need to do that.
Following a few exchanges, she looked confused and clearly had a need to know more about the condition, but she had to contain her curiosity as neither the timing nor the relationship was right.
What I enjoyed about this quick conversation was the directness, she wanted to know something and she just asked, she did not worry about offending me nor about asking inappropriate questions. It was nice.
I know I often hold back on such personal questions for fear of how the question will land, for fear of offending the person, but you know what, I am now starting to realize that that is silly. I think people have a need to talk and to educate and ultimately for their oddities to be acknowledged.
So my advice for the day is to go for it, to ask that question and to see what comes of it. The chances are that you will free someone up and learn something new!
So like the child in the "What are they?" she said, blog.......go forth and ask! Let me know how it goes and what you learn!
The question came from a stranger, a lady about my age, with a full head of hair, she was someone who was working at the airport whilst I was passing through. Someone with whom my interaction would normally be about 30 seconds. However she looked at me and the question just flew off her lips. I am not sure she even realized she had spoken it out loud.
My first reaction was oh my god do I look ill, pale, fragile and then I realized, I was wearing my cute little cap on my head and not my "hair".
A little taken aback by her directness, I felt compelled to answer.
I explained that I had alopecia, an auto immune disease that comes from nowhere. She was intrigued and very curious to understand more as she had never heard of alopecia before that moment. I felt the need to comfort her, to tell her that it was not so bad and absolutely no comparison to cancer. Its funny that I felt the need to do that.
Following a few exchanges, she looked confused and clearly had a need to know more about the condition, but she had to contain her curiosity as neither the timing nor the relationship was right.
What I enjoyed about this quick conversation was the directness, she wanted to know something and she just asked, she did not worry about offending me nor about asking inappropriate questions. It was nice.
I know I often hold back on such personal questions for fear of how the question will land, for fear of offending the person, but you know what, I am now starting to realize that that is silly. I think people have a need to talk and to educate and ultimately for their oddities to be acknowledged.
So my advice for the day is to go for it, to ask that question and to see what comes of it. The chances are that you will free someone up and learn something new!
So like the child in the "What are they?" she said, blog.......go forth and ask! Let me know how it goes and what you learn!
Investing time in living with alopecia
Dear Mr Nosey,
Thanks for your comment on my "Here we go again" post.
I am not sure I can answer your questions, but I can give you some insights into the answers. Quite honestly and very bizarrely I know very little about this condition. I don't know how common it is, and I don't know the reason why it occurs either. This may sound odd to many people but the reason I don't know is that I don't really care.
This condition is about me and not about them, and for whatever reason when my doctors told me that there is no known cause or cure, I accepted that and moved on. Even writing this it seems strange and rather uneducated of me to behave this way, but my instinct told me not to waste time over analyzing the situation, but rather to invest time in living with it.
What I do remember very well from my visits to the Doctors and Dermatologists, is that the condition of alopecia is "medically benign" and this is a wonderful thing. This means that apart from the hair loss, there would no other medical or physical impact on my health. Multiple tests also proved this, thus in many ways I was happy enough for a seemingly clear bill of health!
Now that said I am aware of some facts and I am happy to share with you what I know. For example a surprisingly high 3-6% of women aged under 30 experience alopecia, however there are varying degrees of the condition. It ranges from complete body hairloss to patches of baldness on the head. Some times it is temporary and sometimes it is permanent.
There are many theories on what causes alopecia and of course lots of research, but to my knowledge nothing is conclusive. Often a significant life event is the trigger of this auto immune disease, however a lot of research suggests a genetic disposition is the biggest driver. In my case neither a shock nor known family history tie into the occurrence of my alopecia, thus honestly I don't know.
As to famous people, I will come back to that at a later time. There are many known celebrities with the condition around the world and their stories are fascinating, as said, more another time. Mr. Nosey, thank you for your questions, keep them coming, through them we all learn, me especially. Yours beautifully BBB.
Thanks for your comment on my "Here we go again" post.
I am not sure I can answer your questions, but I can give you some insights into the answers. Quite honestly and very bizarrely I know very little about this condition. I don't know how common it is, and I don't know the reason why it occurs either. This may sound odd to many people but the reason I don't know is that I don't really care.
This condition is about me and not about them, and for whatever reason when my doctors told me that there is no known cause or cure, I accepted that and moved on. Even writing this it seems strange and rather uneducated of me to behave this way, but my instinct told me not to waste time over analyzing the situation, but rather to invest time in living with it.
What I do remember very well from my visits to the Doctors and Dermatologists, is that the condition of alopecia is "medically benign" and this is a wonderful thing. This means that apart from the hair loss, there would no other medical or physical impact on my health. Multiple tests also proved this, thus in many ways I was happy enough for a seemingly clear bill of health!
Now that said I am aware of some facts and I am happy to share with you what I know. For example a surprisingly high 3-6% of women aged under 30 experience alopecia, however there are varying degrees of the condition. It ranges from complete body hairloss to patches of baldness on the head. Some times it is temporary and sometimes it is permanent.
There are many theories on what causes alopecia and of course lots of research, but to my knowledge nothing is conclusive. Often a significant life event is the trigger of this auto immune disease, however a lot of research suggests a genetic disposition is the biggest driver. In my case neither a shock nor known family history tie into the occurrence of my alopecia, thus honestly I don't know.
As to famous people, I will come back to that at a later time. There are many known celebrities with the condition around the world and their stories are fascinating, as said, more another time. Mr. Nosey, thank you for your questions, keep them coming, through them we all learn, me especially. Yours beautifully BBB.
The pleasure of beauty
Before my hair loss I would never ever ever ever have considered myself beautiful. Never. Ever. However over the past few years, beauty has become redefined for me and I can now say with all confidence, that I consider myself beautiful. I genuinely feel more beautiful now than I have ever felt. Don't misunderstand this in any way, I am no stunner nor head turner, I am referring to beauty coming from the inside out.
Beauty is not necessarily more important to me than it was before, but it is definitely something I find more pleasure in, more than I ever would have with a full head of hair. I enjoy wearing fitted dresses, I adore high heels and I indulge in expensive make up. I find happiness in making myself feel more beautiful and I find pleasure in compliments on my efforts.
A friend recently commented that I always blush when I get a compliment. I did not know this about myself, but I like the comment and I love the fact that she noticed.
I work hard at keeping my figure a certain way and I like my curves and wearing clothes that enhance my shape. I am still however not vain, I do not redo my makeup once it's applied. I never look in mirrors past 8am and I always eat those chips, those deep fried goodies and drink full fat beer. Some habits never change.
I am however proudly, bold and beautiful and happen to be bald!
So what are you? Go on define it and most importantly live by it......
Beauty is not necessarily more important to me than it was before, but it is definitely something I find more pleasure in, more than I ever would have with a full head of hair. I enjoy wearing fitted dresses, I adore high heels and I indulge in expensive make up. I find happiness in making myself feel more beautiful and I find pleasure in compliments on my efforts.
A friend recently commented that I always blush when I get a compliment. I did not know this about myself, but I like the comment and I love the fact that she noticed.
I work hard at keeping my figure a certain way and I like my curves and wearing clothes that enhance my shape. I am still however not vain, I do not redo my makeup once it's applied. I never look in mirrors past 8am and I always eat those chips, those deep fried goodies and drink full fat beer. Some habits never change.
I am however proudly, bold and beautiful and happen to be bald!
So what are you? Go on define it and most importantly live by it......
Is big the new small?
I have to admit, I love a cheeky stop at Starbucks. I know it's overpriced but somehow it represents a lifestyle choice and statement on who we are. Fickle and pathetic yes, but yummy and a treat, absolutely. However there is habit that I have that I should really address. I insist on ordering a "small" latte each time I arrive at the front of the queue (and yes there always is a queue which is something I am yet to understand, I mean really it is only coffee shop you know).
Anyway I am fully aware that the smallest of the coffee choices is actually called "tall" but I can't accept that description. What is wrong with small, medium and large, why does it have be renamed, tall, grande or venti. Yes it does sound posher but really it's not helpful nor descriptive.
It seems that size descriptions are changing everywhere, I recently read that clothes sizes have changed dramatically since the 70's. Apparently, the average British size 14 pair of women's trousers is now more than 4 inches wider at the waist than it was in 1970. In other words, today's size 14 is really what used to be labelled a size 18.
What's going on, are we so pulled in by marketing, do we prefer to deny reality, or are the times changing and I can't adapt??
Either way, does anyone fancy a small latte?
Anyway I am fully aware that the smallest of the coffee choices is actually called "tall" but I can't accept that description. What is wrong with small, medium and large, why does it have be renamed, tall, grande or venti. Yes it does sound posher but really it's not helpful nor descriptive.
It seems that size descriptions are changing everywhere, I recently read that clothes sizes have changed dramatically since the 70's. Apparently, the average British size 14 pair of women's trousers is now more than 4 inches wider at the waist than it was in 1970. In other words, today's size 14 is really what used to be labelled a size 18.
What's going on, are we so pulled in by marketing, do we prefer to deny reality, or are the times changing and I can't adapt??
Either way, does anyone fancy a small latte?
The love affair
It happens every so often, but when it does it's magic, it's addictive, you are consciously thinking about it all the time, you look forward to the next meeting, you plan the next time you can spend time together, the anticipation is nearly as much fun as the encounter itself.
You don't tell many, if any one, about this love affair, less because it's a secret, but more because it's very personal and other people don't have a role to play. Also quite frankly people around you are not that interested anyway. It's a private indulgence that is often short lived, but you know when it's happening and you savour each minute you are in each others presence.
So what is this mysterious love affair I am so publicly declaring?
It's the love affair of a great novel, it's the connection between you and the characters, it's an entry into a world that you start to, albeit temporarily, exist in. It's that magnetic draw of a story that starts to become your own, it's escapism at it's best.
So as I sign off I am happy to dive into the world of Emmi Rothner and Leo Leike in the saga "Gut gegen Nordwind" (*) and I can't wait to hear what happens next.....I sign off in anticipation!
*the book translates as "Love Virtually" but the English title does not do it any justice.
You don't tell many, if any one, about this love affair, less because it's a secret, but more because it's very personal and other people don't have a role to play. Also quite frankly people around you are not that interested anyway. It's a private indulgence that is often short lived, but you know when it's happening and you savour each minute you are in each others presence.
So what is this mysterious love affair I am so publicly declaring?
It's the love affair of a great novel, it's the connection between you and the characters, it's an entry into a world that you start to, albeit temporarily, exist in. It's that magnetic draw of a story that starts to become your own, it's escapism at it's best.
So as I sign off I am happy to dive into the world of Emmi Rothner and Leo Leike in the saga "Gut gegen Nordwind" (*) and I can't wait to hear what happens next.....I sign off in anticipation!
*the book translates as "Love Virtually" but the English title does not do it any justice.
Here we go again
There are many body parts that we give absolutely no thought to, none whatsoever. Nails, fingers, skin, organs etc. We only spend any amount of time thinking about them, when they are not working or when they hurt. Take the pancreas for example, I have no idea where that even is inside my body, however any of you who have come into contact with a pancreatic illness know exactly where it is and what it does! I think the more we know about a body part, the more we have had to face difficulties with it.
Another example, pertinent to me, are those little hairs on the eyelid, the eyelashes. Before I got alopecia the only thought I ever gave to my eyelashes was what colour mascara to wear and even that dilemma stopped after the 1980’s (blue mascara I mean what an invention!!)
For the record, my eyelashes did not fall out at the same time as my hair. That happened only a few years later. Bizarrely enough they did not fall out gradually, but rather over night, I woke up one morning and realised that there was nothing there and there was no longer a use for that fancy Chanel Mascara my friend treated me to for my birthday. Then I suddenly realised that I could barely leave the house without my sunglasses on. Have you ever given any thought to what a great sun visor our eye lashes are, they protect our eyes from the bright glare of the sun very effectively, and without them it is often impossible to be outside. Sunglasses have become an absolute requirement for survival for me and I never leave home without them now - whatever the weather.
With alopecia, hair can grow back at any time. For me that has not really happened, however about 6 months ago, I woke up with a full set of eyelashes. Wooowwwww, I tell you when I noticed I could not contain my excitement. Over the past few years I had missed my eyelashes and had begun to realise how beautiful they were on other people. I did try false eyelashes a few times, but I kid you not, I actually stuck my eyes together one evening. This was infact mildly amusing, but hugely frustrating. Luckily the eyelash glue (I bet you didn’t know there was such a thing) is very much like kiddie white glue, you just peel off, but believe me it is not a pleasant thing to do when your dress and make-up are perfect and you are about to leave for a posh night out, only to find yourself temporarily blinded in the bathroom with eyebrows stuck to your fingers!! Aggggggggggh!
Anyway so there I was a few months ago with a full set of eyelashes, they were glorious. Not too long and not very thick but perfect for coating in mascara to finish off my look. I was very happy. People even began noticing them, which I really enjoyed. It made my eyes look normal again and even the redness around the eyes began to fade into the background. I have never been fond of the red eye look, it gives off a look of a sick patient, but having real eyelashes took all that away and gave me back some of my natural beauty. I was thrilled.
So as thrilled as I was at their regrowth, as sad as I was this morning as I noticed their disappearance. Once again I find myself putting the mascara back in the drawer, with a sigh and wishing that it was different. The sadness is not a devastating or deep one, the sadness is an accepting one, of course I wish it hadn’t happened, but I do know that I have the knowledge and skills to change the way I do my make up to ensure that the redness is once again covered up and for nobody to notice that I have no eyelashes.
So the thought I leave you with today is to consider what helpful, but not critical body part you have, that you have not given much thought to. When you have found one, whisper a word of thanks to yourself about its function and then like everyone else continue ignoring its existence.
For me, I will give my thanks to my pancreas, I have no idea where it is and what it does so I will now go and find out and give my personal thanks to it, for functioning and keeping up the good work. Quietly and silently in the background.
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