Sunday, August 14, 2005

Late Night Dating Philosophy Part 2

In a previous post I compared the world of dating to dying your hair. Well, I have been inspired to continue my metaphor. You may think it is going too far, but I hope you enjoy. And if I have missed something…be sure to add it!!

The box that stays on the shelf:
This is the color that looks so good on the shelf. You think, wow I would love to try that but for whatever reason you don’t. You’re scared because it’s too bold; or maybe you just know it isn’t the color for you even if you wish it was. For whatever reason, the box stays on the shelf although you might regularly visit it on your trips to Wal-Mart. :)

The box that you take off the shelf and carry around Wal-Mart:
This is the color that looks good. You pick it up, you hang out it with awhile cause you really like it. But before you even leave the store you realize that it’s not the one for you. You just don’t feel the chemistry. And it doesn’t mean that someday you won’t come back and get that color. But for the time being you know that it’s just not you.

The box that you buy, take home, love it, and then hate it:
This is the color that you fall instantly in love with as soon as you see it. You grab it off the shelf and smile the rest of your time at Wal-Mart and all the way home. You put it on as soon as you walk in the door and it’s wonderful. You keep checking yourself in the mirror, smiling each time. And then the color fades. It doesn’t look so good anymore and you really just don’t like it. You may even regret buying it or wonder how you ever thought it looked so good. It’s not long before you find yourself back at Wal-Mart.

The box you buy, love, and then they stop making it:
This is the one that hurts the most. You finally find that perfect color. You love it. It is exactly what you wanted. It fades into a beautiful color that keeps you smiling. But then one day when it’s time to refresh your color, you go to Wal-Mart and it’s gone. It’s been discontinued or something, you don’t know. You find yourself wondering if you will ever be able to replace it and days and months later you still look back remembering. It takes a long time for you to stop looking for it on the shelves at Wal-Mart.

The box you buy, love, and keep buying: This is it. This is the one that fits. It looks great on you and you love it. Now, it’s still hair dye, so it does have to be refreshed. You may even highlight it every now and then just for a change but it’s there. It’s true to you and you are true to it. Because it makes you happy and beautiful. It’s the color we’re all looking for. And someday we all hope to find it….

Sunday, August 07, 2005

A Late Night Dating Philosophy from Rachel and Heather

“If only we could try out boyfriends like this.”

So quotes my dear friend Heather as she attempts to undo a recent hair mishap. If only dating was like dying your hair---if you get it wrong you can go back to Wal-mart and get a new color to fix it. How often does it feel like we “get it wrong.” I mean, the box looked great: the conversation was good, there was definitely flirting, the connection was there. And then not too long later, it just isn’t there anymore. If only we could go to Wal-mart and buy a new one.
But dating doesn’t work like that. There can be a lot of wrong colors in dating. For some people, they pick the right color immediately. And that amazes me. It’s awesome for them, but for the rest of us, we keep ending back up at Wal-mart.The interesting thing about dying your hair, is that most people always end up back to their original color, or their original color with highlights. Maybe that is what it is really all about. Being original…being yourself and finding someone who likes you for who you are. And maybe that person can be the highlight…the person who not only brightens your day but compliments who you are as well. Once that person is found, maybe we won’t have to go to Wal-mart anymore.

Heather and her Hair

Heather during the hair-mishap.