Staring

I could not move and not be the object of his stare.  Both legs were clamped inside a warm towel ready for the toenails to be cut, cleaned and buffed.   "No nail filing at all or....." the manicurist was told.  Sitting only 15 feet away from me, he must have heard my warning.  He pretended not to look but I am sure he did whenever I closed my eyes.  I could feel his stare.  He must have enjoyed watching the contentment on my face, almost in ecstasy, when Randy began to knead globs of white coconut oil jelly into my scalp.  For thirty minutes Randy worked his magic with his skilled hands to massage my head, temples, entire back and both arms up to the fingertips.  The entire time my eyes were closed to relish the feeling of the sweet pressure points and his stare.  Twice I slightly raised my eyelids and he was staring at something to my left.  But his eyes were extra wide open as if to not get caught staring.  I chuckled and wondered what this tourist who wore shorts, tennis shoes and carried a camera, was thinking  Had he ever seen such type of service to elicit such bliss in a person? 

It's my first time.

Here it is!  I am actually writing.  I swore before that I would never start a blog.  Blogs are open diaries I said.  Blogs are for narcissistic people I thought.  But the realization came that if I wanted to write something lengthy later, like a book, got to get the words out.  Got to practice getting the words out.  My excuse all these years is that I am not a writer.  I am a researcher.  I can find, collect, sort, analyze and everything else except write all the stuff I found.  No one is going to like how I write.   Not enough to keep their interest.  So I decide to take a second look at blogs.  There is another benefit to blogging.  I could have just started an internal personal diary with no one reading it.  The kind with a key and locked away behind my most personal items in a drawer?   No.  That did not sound as exciting as sharing and getting the word out. As I write this first post, I am eagerly anticipating what will happen next.  It's my first pass and it feels good!