The Canary in the Coal Mine

The interminable road work fronting her business for the past too many years to count forces me to drive several extra miles, ignoring the map lady's guidance, since none of her left turns or u-turns are possible.  It doesn't matter.  She's worth the trip.

The relationship between a woman and her hairdresser is personal and private and, if it's a long term relationship, a living diary.  You have the same basic conversations every time, because that's what life looks like.  Family, work, sports, politics.... whatever your connections, you've watched them evolve over time.  Children grow, teams win, politicians die, but the chair and the tools and the participants remain the same.  

Today, as most days over the past few years, we moaned and groaned over FFOTUS's clown car government and its ripple effect on small businesses like hers.  People are stretching out their intervals for services, letting their hair grow, giving up colorizing.  

I'm the canary in the coal mine.  This is just the beginning of what a recession looks like.

Her clients spend more money than is absolutely necessary to trim our locks.  Supercuts would do an adequate job, I'm sure.  But we'll drive the distance and spend the money because we can and we want to.  When her upper income clients are scaling back on can and want she sees signs that, as Miss Imbrie predicts in Philadelphia Story, Belts will be worn tighter this winter.

In a few months the snowbirds will be back and her business will pick up.  But the future looks less than rosy from her perch.  Arizona's primary ballots are due on July 21.  She's a high information, well informed voter.  This is what she told me:

It's the primary, so it's less consequential.  Still, I needed to make a statement.  I voted against every incumbent.  If you're in office right now you are not working for me.