Cut with Carmine

Carmine, the 60(ish) year old man who cut my hair can be credited with the only accomplishment of the weekend. I set out with lofty goals to clean the apartment, maybe find some Christmas gifts or cards, and see a movie - but in the end, I've just taken off some hair. Nothing drastic, to be sure. Although Carmine seemed quite pleased with his work, and after the kind man talked me up and complimented me profusely, I realized something about myself: I am weak.

The already exorbitantly priced haircut (mind you not nearly $200) got more expensive when I decided to be a generous tipper to kind old Carmine. I usually make an effort to over tip, often to compensate for what I assume is bad mental math on my part and ensure that I'm not a rude tipper, but mostly because I'm weak. There's a soft spot in my heart for people's income. I guess I'd like money not to be a big factor in anyone's life. So if I can tip a little more and help them out, or even make them a little happier - so be it. Ah the do gooder in me - see also: my current occupation - demonstrating my true weakness for the income inequalities in society. So weak that I didn't do much to protect my own income level. Much like Carmine's cut, I'm feeling all I'm accomplishing at my job is going home at the end of the day with a little less of myself, and less cash. I like my weakness, to an extent. I think everyone should tip as generously as they can (which I should also reevaluate for myself, again see: my current job), and that we should help each other out. However, I'm also a firm believer in helping people help themselves over just handouts, and here I am - not helping myself out of my current situation.

I did help myself to that quality haircut and an excessively relaxing weekend. Hopefully soon I'll be able to help myself to a new TV, as the current one was busted in a little steam/condensation incident, and while I'm at it, I'll just throw in a new job. Thanks go out to Carmine - Brooklyn born and raised, and the beautiful weather on Saturday!

"today, well lived, makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. look well, therefore, to this day" (apparently an ancient Sanskrit proverb - also happens to be printed on a card that sits in a frame next to my bed and above a sketch of the brooklyn bridge and the NYC skyline.)
ps - I know you're out there - comment! this would be more interesting for me as a DIAlogue not a MONOlouge. Maybe I'll have to come up with more scandalous or exciting things to get a little rage from the folks out there. Is Carmine not good enough for you ?