One of my guests does her own canning, and she gave me a jar of bread and butter pickles. As most know, the pickling liquid is quite sticky and the lids are difficult to remove.
One day, I decided to open a new jar only to find the lid all but impossible to get off. So I left the jar on the counter for my husband to open when he got home. Sure enough, he noticed the jar when he got home and proceeded to try and open it.
After a few minutes, he asked me to help him open the jar. I told him, “It’s ok. I don’t want any pickles right now.”
He respond, “I do.”
Ok, I’ll help, I thought. After a few more minutes without success, my hands were sore and tired from wrestling with the jar. I’d given up, but he hadn’t.
Patiently, he said, “I’m going out to my work truck to get the opening tool.” I sighed.
“I really don’t want any pickles. It’s not worth it.” Out to the truck he went anyway.
“Come on!” he said over his shoulder. So, out to the garage we went. He fiddled in the tool bags looking for the elusive jar opener I was sure he hasn’t used in years. I didn’t think he’d even find it; but sure enough, he did. Success!
The lid finally gave and the stupid pickle jar was open. He grabbed a fork and ate a few pieces, then put the jar in the fridge. “You didn’t really want any pickles, did you? It really wasn’t worth all that work.”
My husband looked at me and said, “It wasn’t about eating the pickles. I was going to open that jar. I’m glad it opened, because next I was going to get out a wrench, and I’m sure the jar would have broken — but it would be open.”
Puzzled, I ask him, “You would have broken the jar and spilt all the pickles just to win against a lid?”
What is your pickle jar? What is it you are willing to crush and potentially ruin, just to achieve your initial goal? I’ll tell you mine. I have two pickle jars: my business and my marriage.
I am constantly striving to improve the state of my business through education, professionalism, and looking at my environment through the eyes of my guests. I spent thousands of dollars doing so. My instinct is to protect the reputation of my business, even to the point of smashing the pickle jar. I am so proud to own my private Aveda salon. I have worked so hard to get where I am in the beauty industry. I LOVE hair dressing and am so lucky to be able to do what I am passionate about.
But all this passion cuts both ways. Passion is necessary to be an artist; and make no mistake: Hair dressing is an art. I just have to be careful not to crush the pickle jar in an attempt to move closer to my goal. I don’t want to be the next Vidal. All I want is a thriving salon full of happy guests who always feel better when they leave my chair than they did when they sat down.
Please feel free to call me at 702-547-1444 with any questions or to book an appointment. If I do not answer, it’s because I am with a guest; so leave a message and I will call you back!
Yours in service,
Rachael Webb