Today marks the 30th anniversary of my local nail salon, JT Nails. On their long wall is a slew of photos and holiday cards of clients throughout the decades. Many of them include customers who have frequented the establishment since their first year.
In a city of rising housing and retail spaces, they have seemed to stay in the same spot all these years. Last weekend while I was in getting a mani/pedi, one of their 'lifelong' clients came in. From my eavesdropping (there are also some benefits to understanding the language of the ladies from the establishment), she recently had to move to the East Bay, which is approximately 45 minutes away on a good day.
However, her husband drove her into the city just so that she could get a $15 manicure. She knew all the ladies and the status of their respective children, and vice versa. The ladies all live down in South Bay and drive in almost daily for the last few decades, with hopes of putting their children through school to have a better future than them. There were similar interactions with others from different walks of life in the salon at the time, including me. In a way, it was an odd extended family while we had a shared common denominator of coloring our digits.
The owner at times relays to me stories of some of the other clientele that are in the salon while I am there or history of the neighborhood. Happy anniversary to wonderful group of hard working ladies!
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