Getting Pampered

Last week I received a lovely gift from one of my good friends – a 2 hour pampering package at a beauty salon which included an aromatherapy massage, facial, foot mask and scalp massage. I used the voucher today.

The lady guides me into a small room with dark walls, music plays in the background and I notice the small CD player on the floor. She instructs me to undress and lie on the table on my front with the towel covering my bottom half. I look around after she leaves and notice the lovely red flowers on the towels. I undress, gently remove the flowers and lie down as instructed. I’m anxious, I can feel my muscles are tensing up and I’m wondering whether I will feel better after. The music is soothing, Balinese tunes, birds chirping. The massage table creaks as I position myself comfortably on it. I wait.

I have a strong distaste for waiting or being still. Patience is something I’m learning. Relaxation is another thing I need to master. I’m here to unwind, clear my mind and rejuvenate but as I lie there my mind begins to go to overdrive. The women returns and begins the aromatherapy massage starting with my back. It’s light but still eases my aching muscles from the previous day’s weight training.

For a moment I manage to focus on my breathing and the massage itself. My neck is still tense. I force myself to relax and let go of some of that tension. The scalp massage surprises me. It hurts and that’s my fault – I don’t speak up. It hurts but after it’s over my head feels strangely relaxed. Before I know it, the hour massage is over and I have some sort of foot mask covering my feet and two towels dropped over them.

The facial is next. My face gets washed, scrubbed and wiped. She informs me she’s putting on a collagen cream that will keep my face young – not sure I believe it but hey, it’s worth a try. The avocado mask follows; then she puts two wet things on my eyes and leaves the room. I can’t stand this part. My mind starts to wander again. Even the music isn’t helping. I can’t just sit still and just be. That’s not me. I know I need to relax so I focus on my breathing. I get jittery, I tap my fingers, I stop, I tap again and realise that I am hopeless at this. I feel like I’m lying there for at least half an hour but it’s more like ten minutes before she returns and clears the gunk off my face. ‘We’re finished, thank you,’ she says.

I get up and get dressed. My body does feel relaxed even though I couldn’t settle my mind. Maybe after a few more days of getting massages and facials even my mind might shut off for an hour or two; or maybe not. Either way, it was lovely to get pampered.  

Tough times

My blood boils when I read stories about people who break the law and are labelled as ‘having no respect for parents or police’. Can we really be surprised by this? Especially, when discipline has been eradicated from the family home and in its place we have been given stress-free upbringing.

Youth no longer have any respect for older people or authority. If the police fail to hold any authority over youth it’s difficult to imagine that parents are going to do a better job. It seems that adolescents, teenagers and young adults are leading the way into creating a dangerous society that is based on crime, violence and rage. I don’t want to live in that society, do you?

I don’t think our governments thought through their decision to ban smacking and disciplining children in a physical way. While I strongly disagree to beating someone to a pulp, I don’t see a problem with a smack on the butt for doing something wrong. I strongly disagree with the studies conducted about smacking causing psychological problems. In most cases parents should avoid physical discipline but sometimes that’s the only thing that will leave an impact.

My parents rarely smacked me though I do recall a couple occasions where I got smacked. I deserved it. None of them caused any permanent or temporary damage. I didn’t repeat the things I did again. Today, I understand why I got smacked and there are days when I wish that my parents got out the wooden spoon a little bit more often. Maybe I would have avoided a few of the issues I went through.

The riots taking place in London at the moment are the result of youngsters who have not been taught discipline or respect for society and for themselves. It’s easy to blame unemployment or an incompetent government (partially they are responsible), but it mostly comes down to how a person is brought up. Looking at the situation there are many more people excluding themselves from the riots and it’s only the small percentage that are creating a terrible reputation for themselves and society.

People require guidance, they require respect and discipline. This guidance, respect and discipline should begin at a young age. When it does, it’s clear to see that society functions in a peaceful manner. There will always be a black sheep in the crowd, but the majority will maintain a certain level of self discipline to act accordingly. Guidance from the community is also necessary.

Times are tough. I understand that. Jobs are hard to come by; the cost of education is on the rise; and, community support at times seems lacking. But generations before us had it much worse. They lived through world wars, the depression and a society without many of the comforts we are blessed (or cursed) with today.

Taking a step back and looking at society from a window view makes you realise that we make our own choices. Some people are more or less disadvantaged than others. There are families who face hardships every day and those who bathe in Crystal champagne; people live off bread and water, while others dine on fillet mignon and lobster. The material things separate them but when we get down to basics they are one and the same.

I’ve read stories about severely disadvantaged individuals persevering and achieving amazing success. I’ve also seen many wealthy and privileged men and women lose it all because of their stupidity. Happiness is a state of mind. We choose to be happy. We choose to have respect. We choose to have self-discipline. Sometimes the road will have rough spots but getting through it will only make us stronger if we allow it to. These are tough times but as a community we can get through them.