I'm cheating on my Stylist

I've put off getting my hair done for quite a while now, cause I'm facing a dilemma.

I've been going to the same hairdresser for something like 7 years. Her name is Grace, and she's great. She always does a great job cutting and colouring, and she's always got interesting things to talk about.

Well, a few months back, Dave and I did a gig to raise money for a school playground. To encourage people to clear up the chairs, they'd taped "prizes" under them. Greg cleared a couple of chairs, and handed me a gift certificate for a haircut.

But... I have a stylist. And she doesn't work at "Hair by Nature". What to do...

Well, I caved. I wanted a haircut for an important audition, and didn't have the scratch for a visit to Grace. So I donned dark sunglasses, a trenchcoat, and a heaping helping of guilt, and made my way to Hair by Nature on the Danforth.

Enter "Chris". A fun, funky hairdresser. The forbidden fruit.

I tell myself that this haircut and highlights mean nothing. I am thinking of Grace the whole time. But the more Aveda haircare products that Chris applies to my hair, the more confused I become. It just smells so good. And there's no itchy, chemically "toning" step. And the cut is nice. Fresh.

I leave the shop almost wishing that Chris was nasty, or had done a bad job. But she didn't. She did a great job. With natural products.

I don't want to leave Grace, but I'm tempted by Chris. I decide that it's the Aveda products that tip the scales. Part of me is afraid to go back to Grace and explain who had cut and coloured my hair since my last visit.

"But Grace, it was free. I was broke..."

Tomorrow, I'm seeing Chris again. I feel so guilty, but I'm telling myself that sometimes you need to change. Grace and I have been through many styles and colours. It's time for new ideas.

Guilt.