by SaurKraut

Created on: February 24, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

A close friend of mine is a top-notch hairdresser. He's bold, outspoken, witty, interesting, and (surprisingly) straight. His book is always full and his referrals are word of mouth. He is continually on the move, juggling color, foils, trims, and perms. One day, a new client arrived that had been referred to him by another client. She sat in his chair and began to ask some prying questions. Was he married? No, but he's in a very committed relationship. Did he have kids? Yes, he said he did, etc.

Now, these are the types of prying questions some people ask. The reasons they ask vary, but it's usually because they're either interested in trying to pursue a relationship with their 'victim', because they're simply nosy about something that isn't any of their business, or because they have a hidden agenda.

Knowing this, but choosing to not ask why she was prying (so he could stay removed from whatever angle she was coming from), he went off to the back room to mix the formula needed for her hair. When he came back, there was a Christian tract sitting on his work station.

Immediately seeing it, he smiled slightly but said nothing. He now understood that she had been trying to establish a commonality: She wanted to 'witness' to him. Noticing that he wasn't speaking, the client asked "Well ARE you?"

"Well IS it?" asked my friend.

Confused, but unwilling to reliquish her pursuit, the client asked again, "Well ARE you?"

"Well IS it?" my friend repeated.

"Is it WHAT?" asked the slightly exasperated client.

"Is it any of your business?" asked my friend, calmly.

The client gasped "Well, I'm insulted!"

"And I'm offended," my friend said, honestly. "Do you really think that my personal beliefs have anything to do with you, or how well I can do your hair?"

"But you're so TALENTED," she said, implying "you would be such an asset to our faith!"

"Look," began my friend. "Don't you think that I know all about Jesus? Don't you realize that when I drive to and from work every day I pass many, many churches? Don't you think that if I wanted to, I could stop in and ask them about what they believe? If I want to, then I will pursue it. When you sat down in my chair, I didn't ask you what YOU believe, did I? So how is that at ALL relevant to the relationship that we have as client and hairdressser?"

In the end, they agreed to part ways. He told her that obviously their business relationship wasn't going to be mutually satisfactory and she hasn't returned. The woman who had conspired with this 'missionary'

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