The woman with smooth translucent skin showed me into a cold room with all sorts of machines humming. She spoke in a thick Russian accent. "put dees gargoyles on your face plese!" I looked at the goggles she handed to me and then the anxiety started. "Umm do you mean goggles?" I asked. "yes as I said put gargoyles on your face and we will start laser." Okay this is where i start to morph into a five year old girl. I start getting teary and spacey. I just wanted to get a sun spot removed off my arm but somehow it has now become a whole production. This is what the inner dialogue is like: "Ok calm the f _ _ k down. You are a grown woman in her forties, you can do this. All your friends have done a photo facial. They say it's no big deal." The Russian nurse comes back in. "Reddy?" I clear my throat. She continues, "it not hurt so much. Like rubber band flick on your face. But worse." I swallow and stay silent. She starts to get impatient. "So we start now. Put dees on. Put Dees on now." I finally find my little girl voice, "Umm I have a few questions. Like what is the process? Will I be peeling after or red? Will I start to look like all those zombie looking women I see haunting the streets of LA? Is this natural at all? Is it it toxic? Should I even be doing this? I know it's not a big deal and believe me I can handle pain. Emotional, physical, psychic I've been through it all. I've birthed two babies, and fought coyotes so it's not the pain it's just the principle. I mean this is the first step down a tricky path. I mean . . . I like some of my imperfections. It means I've lived and laughed and cried and been a woman for God's sake. No Thank you I am not putting any gargoyles on my face. I am not going to inflict snapping rubber bands on my visage. So no. I am not doing this. Thank you for your time and adios!"
True story that one. Yes I can be a whacko at times. The good news is I felt really happy afterwards not because I saved $240, but because I finally have learned to listen to my gut. I'm sure the photo facial was a benign procedure and I would have looked great after a few days, but at that moment my inner self was not wanting it. A flower remedy therapist I have been working with mentioned a phrase to me that has stayed in my mind. Changing moments in our lives that have been big ruptures into rapture. The biggest lesson through all the life changes I have been through, is learning to listen to my instinct or spirit. If I can learn more and more about how to create joy, and rapture in my life then all the challenges will be worth the toil.
So many exciting things going on here at The Local Rose. The shop is expanding everyday with wonderful products. New interviews, and best of all you roses are still here with me on this journey!
