We took his kids down to the soup kitchen to serve and sat and waited on them. The 17 year old the entire time had a sour grapes look on her face, not even "just sucked a lemon" more like drank an entire bottle of vinegar. This soup kitchen is more than just a kitchen, it has social services within it, a small women and children's shelter attached to it and a totally volunteer staff. Most are not on probation or doing community service hours but they happily accept the help of those that need to put in community service hours.

While sitting waiting on his kids, we sat outside at picnic tables, chatting with the folks that came outside to eat. We live in Florida, it is hot outside, the inside has air conditioning, but with that many bodies in there and some had not seen a shower or bath in a significant time, it was actually more comfortable outside.

In conversation it came up that this kitchen years ago used to offer haircuts. That they had a volunteer come in a few times a month that would cut the customers hair. There were a few women there, with their kids, who had job interviews coming up and were wishing the service still existed. DH, bless his little heart (and I mean that in the most southern of all ways), volunteered the information that far earlier in life, I used to do hair. Yes, I still have a license through the state, yes, I will even do hair for friends of mine, on a RARE occasion. But I have not done hair on a mass level in more than 12 years.

I did last night. Low and behold they had a chair and even a shampoo sink. I put DH to work washing hair, and started cutting hair at 530. We stopped at 930. While my feet were hating it, I LOVED it. The people there were so appreciative and thankful, warm, funny... there is just no way to describe it aside from my heart was completely full and content on the way home.

We did of course have the jokesters. One gentleman who was balder than any egg you have seen, plopping into the chair, running a hand over his scalp and telling me to take a little off the top. Little boys ages 2 and up there with their parents, (both parents out of work) who wanted (and got) Mohawks. Little girls who wanted bobs, moms who just wanted their split ends gone. We had to stop at 930 as the main meeting building is not licensed to be open later than that. The scissors sucked, the trimmer was old and the blades dull I was amazed they had what they did have on no notice.

But I talked with the director. I will be going back at least once a month to help out after DH's kids are done with their service. In the meantime they will be there serving dinners every Fri/Sat/Sun so during those dinner hours the 'chair' will be open. The director will be out looking for donations of shampoo and conditioner and more towels. I told her I would supply the combs/scissors/disinfectant and a new set of clippers. Even pulled out and dusted off my license so it can be stapled to the wall to make things legal.

One thing last night did give me a glimmer of hope that sd17 might, maybe, just turn out human: There were a few little girls there whose hair I trimmed up. After DH's kids were done serving they were waiting on us, and sd17 was spotted french braiding several little girls hair. Did she have to? Nope, she volunteered to. And she wasn't even getting service hours out of it. His boys were out playing on the playground with other kids. DH's youngest daughter went back and forth between playing and running in to see if she could "help" with doing hair.

This morning I have already had both girls remind me that we need to run to Sally's and get the supplies that there will be people wanting hair cuts this evening. It is really, honestly, wonderful to hear them nag at me to remind me to help others instead of "I want I want I want."

And I just got reminded again. Time to get dressed and head to Sally's. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!