But I Smile Anyway…

You know me.

I like to chat…lots!

My Hubby Dearest and kids are resigned to the fact that if they are going out somewhere with me, that there is a high possibility that I will end up engaging in some sort of conversation with some random!

Yesterday, I went to the nail salon to get my nails refreshed before my anniversary weekend (as you do) and I entered into a conversation with one of the other clients about what colour, or more specifically, which blue she should go for.

Content that I had helped her with her electric blue shade issue, I settled back to chat to my technician about Instagram, as they don’t have a business account, and I wanted to let them know that I used a picture of my last trip there as an entry for the Black and White Photo Challenge, and that it was responsible for bringing in around 100 views a day, in the last few weeks! I have had over 2000 views just for that post recently!

The electric blue lady’s ears perked up. “What do you mean by posts?” I explained that I blogged.  “Ooooh! Do you have a YouTube channel then?”

“No,” I explained, ” I write, I don’t make videos. I’m a Blogger, not a Vlogger!”

“So, are you like one of them advice writers?”

“Erm, not really. I write about everything and anything that comes to mind. Poetry, fiction, life…”

She went quiet for a moment or two, then quietly said “I have a problem with boys… Like they are just all so bleurgh….”

Okaaay….

I settled back to chat to my technician who has a son in Reception class. She always tells me about his difficulties with writing and concentration, so I try to help out with different strategies she could use with him to get him engaged with mark making, and focussing.

I explained how he is possibly not ‘listening’ or joining in because he doesn’t fully understand instructions, being a student with English as a second language and that the teacher should be addressing him in a simpler way, so he can access all the learning, until his English is more secure.

Ms Electric Blue joined in again.

“So, he doesn’t understand so he doesn’t concentrate? He must have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). I’ve got that.”

She went on.

“I think if my boy was at school and I needed to, I’d bug the teacher every day until they’d listen. I worry he might have it too.”

The conversation went on. Her son is only 5 months old. I told her to not expect him to automatically have ADD just because she does. Then she went on to list health complaints her family has (Asthma/ exzcema / Depression) and that she was so scared her baby would have it too. She confessed that her own reading and writing was poor due to her condition not being supported at school, because a proper diagnosis not being issued until she was at college.

By this time, another client, American in nationality, joined in too, giving her advice, which was similar to mine, in that she should try not to assume her baby will carry some sort of condition, and to think positive.

We settled back into our treatments.

She came and sat next to me.

“Being a mum makes you feel so old,” she said, “I’m only 21.”

I gave her a smile, “Well, I’m mum to a near teenager, and an almost 10 year old, and I’m double your age. 42. And I really don’t feel old, most of the time! Enjoy your baby, and try and enjoy the time you have with him at this age. They grow up far too fast!”

She turned back to her nails then, concentrating on the blue…

And just like that, one of my strange conversations with strangers ended.

I did feel I may have left this one, having imparted some useful advice though… and I’m glad the family weren’t around, they would have never let me chat for as long as I had done!

And my nails?