Trust me - yeah, right

There are many phrases we say to one another. But do we mean them? And should we accept them at face value when we hear them? Take “Trust me, I know what I’m doing” for example. Should you? What if it’s being said by your best friend? Well, then probably yes. What if it’s being said by a stranger? Then, maybe not. But what if said stranger is a so-called expert in some profession, and is telling you this because they should know more about a particular subject than you? Well, then, yeah, more than likely, you’re going to put your life in their hands. Fine, in this case it was my hair. I’ve been traveling a lot. The person who normally cuts my hair is pregnant and thus, not working much. We keep missing each other. Blah, blah, whatever. So, I see a salon in the city I happen to be in over the weekend with a big giant sign saying “Walk-ins welcome”. My first thought was, “Awesome!” Okay, okay. I know, I know, this should’ve been a clue as to what I was in for. But no, I waltz in with no qualms whatsoever. For a Saturday afternoon, the place is oddly empty. Still, I’m like, no problem - no waiting! I tell the girl, who, let me tell you, looks like she’s twelve, I want my hair to be short for the summer. Uhm, well, yes, the pink streaks in her hair should’ve been another clue that I should’ve hightailed it out of there. But, alas and alack, no, I bravely go where no one my age should ever have gone. She takes one look at me and says, “Trust me, I know this super cute cut for you.” Sure, why not? She works here, she's spent hours learning how to cut hair. Right? Yeah, famous last words. The next thing I know, I’m practically bald. My hair hasn’t been this short since I was born and maybe not even then. That was about when I was really glad no one else was in the building – I didn’t want anyone else to see me right at that moment. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. Sure, it’s just hair. It will grow back – eventually. And well, it’s not exactly the girl’s fault. I wasn’t exactly specific when I said “short” and it’s short all right. With as much politeness as I could muster at the moment, I sort of said "Thanks." And got the heck out of Dodge. However, I can tell you, I’m going to think twice about trusting someone who thinks they know what they're doing in the future. I’m going to want to know specifics, I will want a detailed plan of action, I will want to see progress updates each step of the way. After all, next time something much more important may be on the line than just my hair. Because trust me, I don’t want any more ‘I know what I’m doing’ surprises…