Not now!
By Tamara van Doesburg
“Miss, Miss!” Oh yes, of course. I’m at the hairdresser and she’s about to ask how I want my hair. I beat her to it though: “Just a cut, like always. Oh, and a colour rinse, same colour as last time.”
I slouch a bit lower in the seat, open Libelle, the magazine I’m reading, and then wait for the right moment: an opening when I can firmly but politely say: “Do you mind if I read? Just let me know if I need to move my head.” After exchanging a few pleasantries on the delights of the Scandinavian landscape, the moment finally arrives. There’s a lull in the conversation after comparing Norway and Finland; I establish eye contact with my hairdresser via the mirror and say: “Do you mind if I …” I’m relishing the thought of two unbroken hours of reading “the letter of the week”, “women’s secrets” and relationship tips by the resident psychologist Annette Heffels. OK, guilty as charged, I’m hopelessly addicted to reading women’s magazines and combining that with my other addiction, the hairdresser, makes this the highlight of my month. While opening my third issue of Libelle a minor revelation hits me: this is the power of magazines. Those stolen moments, the bubble that cocoons you from the outside world. “I’m just reading Viva dear, which roughly translates to “Don’t disturb me for the next hour!” Industry insiders will tell you it’s a hopelessly old-fashioned notion. But I reckon the opposite is true. What would a visit to the hairdresser be without a month-old, well-thumbed magazine within easy reach? And I’m less at ease on the couch with my notebook on my lap (paranoiac about spilling a drop of Coke Light on my brand spanking new thingamajig). Above all, all the temptations and distractions of the web (a quick check on Facebook) is simply not conducive to relaxing. What I mainly want to do at the moment is absolutely nothing… A tap on my shoulder brings me back to reality; the hairdresser aims the mirror at the back of my head to show the fruits of her labour. My mind empty and my hair cut, I’m all set for another month.
