if not college, what?

Now that I was fabulous 18, what would I do? All of my friends went away to college, and I was alone. I just did not see myself as the college type. I sat in bed for months. Wasn't life supposed to be great after graduation? When I was in school, all I cared about was that day when school would be over forever. I cried a lot, because I had no future and I did not know what to do with myself. Just as I was feeling the most sorry for myself, my mom came into my darkened bedroom and told me that she had noticed a manicurist school nearby and I might want to try that. I flew out of bed and, within the hour, I was enrolled at Career Academy for Nails.

I went day and night to finish the 350-hour program. I had never been so determined in my life. I began to cherish hands and feet. No hands were unmanageable; no feet were too smelly for me! As I filed and smoothed, I knew I had never been so happy. I graduated with a 97 percent average and enjoyed a feeling of accomplishment for the first time in my life.

finding the salon for me

With my great success at nail school, I had the confidence to go on interviews at the best salons. I was selecting salons in only the prestigious areas of Chicago and its fashionable North Shore suburbs. But after seeing the extreme bustle of the some of these salons, I knew I did not want to work in the kind of environment where clients were just part of an assembly line. I needed to have clients who came for me, not just for a fancy, "name" salon.

By chance, I grabbed a local paper and glanced at the classifieds. Just a minuscule ad with the words, "Nail Tech Wanted," and the city and phone number held my attention. I called, and a cheery man answered the phone. We set up an interview for the following Tuesday, a day that would mark the turning point of my life.

I was incredibly nervous as I walked into the Roman Room Salon. It was cute and small, with a huge glass partition separating the hair stations. I did not see anyone right away, but I heard a very noisy man talking and laughing. He leaned from his station to peer at me over his brown half-glasses. I was very surprised by his appearance. Nick was a large Irish man, very loud and happy. This man was not at all the male hairdresser stereotype. He introduced himself.

"I thought you would be ethnic-looking because of your name" were the first words Nick spoke to me. I replied, "I thought you would be gay because you are a hairdresser." He laughed and told me that he and Martin were the last of their kind. Then out of thin air Martin appeared with a "Yep" and a chuckle. Martin was Nick's opposite, a thin, quiet and often somber Vietnam veteran. I immediately loved them both. (In this photo, Martin is on the left, Nick on the right.)

kindness and karma

During my interview, Nick told me that "it never hurts to be beautiful," along with other words of wisdom. I believe that all three of us just fit in some strange, karmic way. He did not care so much about my abilities as a manicurist, but more that I had to want to be there and like the salon. He sent me out the door telling me to make sure I interviewed at as many salons as I could so that I would make the right choice. Later, Nick told me that sending me away was so hard for him to do and that he had shouted across the salon, "Martin! I hope she comes back!" One month later I was the Roman Room's new nail tech and loving it.

Each day was better than the one before. Nick disobeyed all the rules of salon etiquette, and his clients loved it. One afternoon, a man was completely red, screaming and yelling so incomprehensibly about Chicago's sports teams that I thought he would either kill Nick or have a heart attack. Trembling, I poked my head out from my back station. Nick said to the short-tempered man, "Would you sit down and shut up? You're scaring my employees!" The man said to me, "Sorry, dear. I wouldn't come here unless I got to scream and get all fired up. I love it!" I smiled as I grew more accustomed to my new surroundings.

dream job leads to new dream

I had my dream job because my boss liked me and the clients were ideal. So many people welcomed me. The clients were so successful, had such great stories and offered excellent advice. It was not long before the Roman Room was my second home.

My birthday was just around the corner when Nick presented me with the most beautiful birthday cake ever made. It was from a real bakery with beautiful pink roses and dark chocolate filling. I could not imagine eating it because it would be ruined, but I was dying to taste it! I had never been treated that way before. Each day I felt so incredibly important that my personality began to change. I began to look at people with more confidence. I held my head higher, and I did not speak so softly anymore. I began to feel like a person who really mattered.

More than three-and-a-half years passed when I had to make another life-altering decision. I was very comfortable with my life, but I had the opportunity to move to a warmer state and go to college. I had begun to think more and more about attending college and maybe getting a degree. This was very exciting, but moving would mean that I'd have to leave Nick and Martin. In those three years we had spent holidays and birthdays together, and the salon had been almost completely remodeled. In a fit of tears I told Nick that I would be moving after December of that year.

to sirs with love

"You deserve to go to college," Nick said. "You're so smart." I cried harder. I'd been scared that he would be angry. Instead, he said the most encouraging thing, just as he always did. Martin came and gave me a hug. At that moment, I knew we would all be friends for the rest of our lives.

A year have passed since I left the comfort of those silly guys. We still talk and get together when I visit Chicago. The time passes, but our friendship does not change. I miss seeing them every day, but I will always remember that they were my guides through my life's detour. These two incredible guys helped me find who I was looking for: me!