Monday, September 14, 2009

Are you allowed to give yourself a haircut?

A burning question. Why do we think a service is somehow superior when we've paid someone to do it?

For instance, what is it about pedicures?
Doing it myself - Ok.
Paying someone - Fabulous! Money well spent. I'm definitely doing this again!

or Mowing the lawn:
Doing it myself - Sweaty, tiring.
Paying someone - Well worth it. Necessary budget item.

Reality check: The polish will wear off just as fast. The grass will grow just the same. So why do we pay? Is our time so extraordinarily valuable that we can't do simple tasks anymore? What oh so important things are we doing instead?

Big admission here. I often cut my own hair. In fact, I am the haircutter for my whole family. I cut my husband's hair. I cut my daughters' hair. I cut my sons' hair. Paid for maybe 20 haircuts in the 28 years we've been a family.

And the list goes on. Repair our own appliances. Paint our own rooms. Clean our own carpets. We do do do for ourselves everything we can. Gasp - how archaic.

So why don't I pay? Sometimes it just takes less time to do it myself. And at first we couldn't afford to pay for things like haircuts. But now, mostly, it's because I like the feeling of accomplishment. I like knowing that I'm capable, that I know how to do things. I like the sore muscles of a job well done. I like stepping back from a project and knowing that I did that great thing!! Talk about empowering! I'm dizzy thinking about it. Which is not good because -

I'm due for a haircut.