All the situations and people described in this book are real; however their names and places that are described have been changed.
– Hello.
– Hi, my friend gave me your number and I would like to make an appointment.
– Sure, tomorrow at three o’clock does it suit you?
– Perfect, thank you very much.
Then we talk about details such as address, telephone number. I hang up and return to my client to continue my work.
I used to be a manicurist or just to make it sound more prestigious – a beautician, a master of my craft. I did a manicure, pedicure, depilation of the whole body and eyebrow correction. I worked for six years, very intensively. I had incredibly many clients and loved my work madly.
Working tirelessly I did not watch TV, did not see any commercials, nor did I read newspapers. I learned everything from my clients: what, where and when something happened. Whether the prices rose or fell. What books are worth reading and what movies are worth watching. Where one should go and what there is to do. What cream is to be used against wrinkles or cellulite. What part of the body it should be applied to: face, belly, legs or buttocks and which one of the two hemispheres is to be treated first. Where to buy this pretty blouse. It goes without saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip, what would we do without them? As well as the life stories, life turns and roads.
We talked about such things that you cannot even tell your closest and dearest ones, that one is ashamed of or scared, and I hid their secrets in a closet that was firmly closed to others. I accepted, understood and kept everything with me until their next visit. I was like a priest to confess to. Sometimes we cried together, sometimes we laughed until we had to hiccup. I nodded at exactly the right moment, said mhm, if they needed my advice then I gave it to them, if not I kept my silence.
So why does a woman go to a manicurist? Many would say – for a manicure of course. You are right, but only for some twenty percent. Well-groomed hands are without a doubt the calling card of a woman, and no doubt of a man, but have you seen the film with Reese Witherspoon “Legally Blond”, when the protagonist has had a really bad day and then she was in a desperate need of a nail salon. Yes, women go for a manicure, but that's not all. They want to speak out, or to listen. To talk, or not to talk. To run away from the entire world, to feel special. They go to rest from work, husbands, children, intrigues, duties, to be alone, to take time for themselves. They are looking for a person who will be impartial when they look at their lives. They come for gossip, news, secrets. They want to be heard, but not accused. They go where they can be themselves, free and without masks. Here they feel safe and courageous.
It is said that a manicurist should be a good psychologist, I am not the one and in no way do I pretend to be, but when a large number of people, clients and friends pass through you, you gradually learn to understand people and feel their needs. What I propose to you is a kind of my own perennial study, which will be presented to you on a silver platter. I learned a lot from clients, myself; I read a lot – books, articles, attended an insane number of seminars. I constantly searched for answers, asked questions. I have always craved for information, clearly stated and expressed. I wanted more and more until I realized that I am running the same distance all over again. In this book, I described my experience and the experience of other masters. The exact thing that I used to look for myself. You can accumulate it and use for your own good.
