The summer hustle leaves no time for blogging
The first of two gorgeous summer sunsets I witnessed this week.
These last ten weeks have been a whirlwind and I miss the writing-every-day days of quarantine.
Seemingly not even a pandemic can stop the craziness that is summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Despite COVID, I now find myself working 70 plus hours a week, and touching strangers during most of it (crazy, right?!) I launched a mobile outdoor/at-home hairstyling business Coast to Coast Cuts (more on launching a second business in a pandemic, that’s a dedicated post at a later date), which has kept me hustling hard. Needless to say I am so grateful for all of my work given the economic hardships so many are facing and the uncertainty we are all still facing. So I work, I save, and I find myself longing for the early days of quarantine when I could take two hour walks and write thoughtfully every day…
So while I can’t recap everything that has transpired since my last post my intention is to share weekly updates, as I got so much out of this blog in the beginning. Plus I know I will value this time capsule for years to come, and with the way things are going “My Corona Diaries” will sadly span several years…
This week’s treat: Fried clams! I have been craving friend clams all friggin summer and finally stopped at The Fish House to get some. I was on my way home from a long day on Chappy, where I partnered with the Royal & Ancient Chappaquiddick Links to provide haircuts at the golf course. As I was making my way home I realized I could still catch the sunset at Lambert’s Cove Beach and trekked out to the sand with fried clams, onion rings and a beer in tow. What began as a lackluster sunset evolved into one of the seasons best. Note to self: things aren’t always what they seem, and never pass up a sunset, especially when it’s in your own backyard.
Cutest thing I ever did see: A toss up between the video of my nephew Mason nuzzling his “brother” dog Bentley and pulling him around by the collar or watching him ride his balance bike like a pro! Without a doubt the hardest part of the pandemic has been not knowing when I will see Mason and Kristina again. I spend at least an hour a day thinking about how and when it might happen which may include a road trip, another conversion van, or a winter rental in California to be close to them. The uncertainty of it breaks my heart and I know it’s hard for all of the families living apart. Sigh.
What I’m grateful for: Kind, appreciative clients. With Coast to Coast I have met so many sweet people who are thrilled to have me come to them to not only give them a haircut but to offer a return to normalcy, even just for a bit. People are overwhelmingly thankful for the service and to feel like themselves again, and I so appreciate being able to provided that.
Gavin and I were recently talking about how lucky we are to have such great clients, and great jobs. Earlier this week Gavin came home from working a dinner where the family sang him a song to the tune of Sweet Caroline: ”Gavin Smith, good food never tastes so good, so good, so good, so good” amid multiple rounds of applause. How lucky are we to do what we love for people we care about and get to spread joy, especially amid a pandemic? It’s actually pretty powerful and I’m proud of it.
I’m also grateful to be a childless adult who doesn’t have to try to decide between my child’s safety and education and all the complications that are coming with this very uncertain and very scary back to school season.
Most meaningful impact I made: One of my clients on Chappy this week was a 20-something who hadn’t cut (and possibly hadn’t brushed) his hair in five years. His hair had been matted down to the point that I had to very carefully cut it away from his scalp before I could put clippers to it. He was nervous to get it cut and it was a very emotional experience for him, I think he had been hiding behind that hair for quite some time. He thanked me for not giving him a hard time about it or turning him away, and he was so, so grateful for the haircut. “It’s an amazing haircut, honestly I cried a little in the car because I was so surprised at how much better it looks. Thank you so much! It’s really surprising to me how different a haircut can make me feel.” Mic drop.
Most impressive piece of marketing I saw: As a marketer I’m constantly trying to help my clients connect with their users and customers in an emotional way, it’s all about the feels you know. This week I came across a piece of marketing collateral that real struck me. Orvis Gavin received a thank you card from Orvis that included a $25 gift card (redeemable on purchases of $25.02 and more) with an incredibly thoughtful, timely and personal note about connecting customers to nature but also together through their appreciation for the natural world, which the brand represents so well. It struck me as a well executed example of how brands can authentically connect with their constituents, especially at a time when we are all so desperate to feel comforted and heard.
What I did to appreciate summer: Walked the beach on Chappy and explored Mytoi Japanese Gardens, caught two sunsets, and went kayaking in the lagoon with Gavin. Last weekend I braved the Hyline ferry to spend time with friends and family, and it felt so nice and “normal” to enjoy Cape Cod together in the summer, just like old times, kinda…
What keep me up at night: The likelihood of another full scale shut down with back to school approaching and the winter months driving us indoors, plus the chaos and political unrest that is going to stem from the election, no matter who wins. What our crazy ass president is doing now to destroy the postal system in efforts to effect the election and undermine our democracy is incomprehensible.
I think the shitshow that will ensue come November will be far scarier than anything we’ve lived through so far. Sigh. Couple that with worrying about how and when I can see my west coast family but be back on my safe Island when everything falls down again (with even more limited access to receiving things to my Island home when the Postal System is further crippled). Sigh again.
What I’m hopeful for: Ummmmm, the far future.
What I’m listening to: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Obviously I do not consider myself a racist at all, but I’m realizing that I have very much been the product of white privilege and have supported racist ideas over the years that I had never realized were racist, and we all have. These days I am doing all I can to better understand what I can be doing as a white women to unpack the depths of systemic racism that has plagued our society and and bring us closer to a racially just society. We collectively have a lot of work to do.
What I’m watching: Dexter, damn he’s good. We also watched all of the available old school Supermarket Sweeps available on Netflix in two days last month, it was amazing. Really anything nostalgic that can transport me back to the before times is welcome.