OUTSIDE THE COMFORT BOX!

The older I get, the more I confess to enjoying being in my comfort zone.  There are times when I could stay at home for days at a time, reading, playing cards or simple computer games, writing emails, or spending time on Facebook.  I used to think of myself as an avid adventurer, but more recently I've traveled "inward."  I haven't wanted to be busy for the sake of being busy or filling up time, or even taking on new adventures and challenges. So for the last two and a half months I've asked myself what I'm doing here in Germany.  There are times when I'm scared to death of even simple things.  One of them occurred yesterday.  For many people it would be no big deal, but for me, a pep talk was a necessity.  And all for a haircut!  Of course that seems quite humorous, but for me the idea of walking around the streets of Munich and then actually setting foot inside a hair salon was something I had avoided for two and a half months.  At first I rationalized that I wouldn't even be able to find it, considering how easily I often get lost.  And then last weekend I realized that I was wanting to go outside even less because of the way I looked.  So off I headed to Munich.  The thought of speaking German to total strangers who were in the fashion business almost made me laugh out loud.  I even asked my friend what I should say.  And I certainly knew that the minute I opened my mouth, and quite timidly, they would know that I was not a native speaker.  The bottom line is that they didn't even seem to care.  No one even asked my name, like they would at home.  At first I wondered why, and then I realized that in Germany you're usually not on a first name basis with a total stranger.  They have two forms of "you", one the informal "du", and the other, the formal "Sie." I was certainly used to that, but not as far as a hairdresser's shop.  So I just sat down and hoped that eventually someone would come up to me and say that it was my turn.  That did happen, but after 45 minutes I was beginning to wonder.  My entertainment during this time was watching the very fashionable woman next to me with her dog.  I must admit to being surprised in seeing dogs go nearly everywhere in Germany, including restaurants and bakeries, but I didn't expect to see one at a hair salon.  It was a novel idea, and I liked it, being that I'm a big dog lover.  Finally my stylist came and offered a handshake--another surprise.  I was glad to finally head back to respectability, and also to leave behind the wasps flying around me. I was glad not to be expected to engage in a lot of conversation like at home, since my German is still pretty basic.  After about 15 minutes my ordeal was over and I walked out of the shop, ready to take on new adventures, however simple they might be.  I had a big smile on my face, bright sunshine, and a feeling like I just might be willing to do that "haircut thing" again before I leave for home in two months.  I mean, seriously, what's next to worry about?