Paying for Torture

Some things that you have done for years can still be out of your comfort zone. This morning I went to get a facial, or a "Deep Cleansing" as they call it (they being the thousands of professionals trained to disguise their malice with sweet smelling offices). Those who think going to a spa to get a facial is relaxing have obviously never gotten one. I knew what I was getting into, I just didn't remember it.

I was greeted by a lady with perfect skin, heavy makeup, and a huge green straw hat. She seemed harmless enough, even a little sweet. As I laid down on the padded table, she massaged my neck and put on hydrating, invigorating, mineral-filled, swiss, untainted, blah blah blah luscious lotion. I could have sworn she was just fancily slathering regular drugstore St.Ives while reading the label on the back. Then, she got out her huge magnifying glass with the blinding white light and put it right smack over my face. It was time to take out all of my "impurities" as she called them (which is how these deliverers of pain are trained to call all your zits and blackheads). Let the torture begin! As I writhed, squirmed, and whined under her evil hands all she could offer for solace was "I know it hurts, but these are the things we do for beauty". Forty minutes of pain passed and I could feel the tears welling up, but I held on like a big girl and prayed for it to be over.

Eventually, I survived of course, paid $50 for my lovely experience, and scheduled another one two weeks from now. I walked back to my car with a swollen face and a huge headache. Does it feel smooth? Yes, it does! Is it less "impure"? It better be!

Moral of the Story:
Getting "impurities" out of all the areas of your life isn't a pleasant experience. It's something that we have to do from time to time because they eventually build up again (even if you wash your face every day). Just like those on your face, getting "impurities" out of your character hurts like crazy, but feels and looks so much better when you get rid of them. Sometimes it's good when we have people around us that comfort us through the process, but most times we just need someone to say "I know it hurts, but it's worth it".

Before I left, the lady with the straw hat told me, "if you get a scab on any of them, don't touch it, it'll come off eventually". In our own lives, changes like these are bound to leave scars somewhere. The wisest thing we can do is let the scar heal on it's own and it'll eventually go away. If we pick at it, it'll last a whole lot longer.