COMMENTARY

Local salon looking ahead to a bright 2018

From left: Mikey DelVecchio, Sandy Kay Fleig, and owner Peggy George at Definitions hair salon.

THE BLADE/MARY ALICE POWELL
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What better location than a hair salon to ask the perennial question, “What is your New Year’s resolution?”

Who could disagree that these gems throughout the city are centers of conversation, perhaps rumors, and always great ideas.

With my notebook and pen in hand, the question was asked of hair stylists and customers at Definitions on Dussel Drive. It was a busy afternoon at the salon, where several of the 10 to 12 stylists graciously took a break from coloring, combing, shampooing, or whatever to answer my question. Customers were also gracious.

From left: Mikey DelVecchio, Sandy Kay Fleig, and owner Peggy George at Definitions hair salon.

Surprisingly, dieting was not the common subject, as I expected. Exercise did come into play, but the overall responses were resolutions to improve well-being in other ways.

Salon owner Peggy George hopes to slow down in the coming year.

“I am learning more and more to go with God’s pace and not to be so impatient,” Peggy said. “I have always wanted everything to happen yesterday, but I am learning to enjoy the little things in life every day.”

Peggy has been at the salon 34 years as part owner and recently became full owner.

Working across the aisle from Peggy, Sandy Kay Fleig is sure if she accomplishes her goal of organizing the hundreds of photos that she has in boxes it will be a needed stress relief.

Sandy’s plan, come 2018, is to sort the pictures she has been taking for years and organize them into albums for the Fleig’s two daughters and their families. In addition to standard camera photographs, she has stacks of photos taken on her cell phone that she has had developed.

Robin Heil, who works at Definitions but lives in Temperance, put her goal for the new year in a sweet nutshell.

“I am going to try very hard this year to see the best in everyone, “Robin said.

Poor punctuality is a concern of Tracy Miller that she intends to correct come Jan. 1.

“I would like to be 5 minutes early for work and my appointments,” Tracy said at the shampoo bowl, adding an admission that she has a tendency to be 5 minutes late.

Powell

The subject of New Year’s resolutions was not limited to women only but included Jim Norman, director of operations and productions for the Toledo Opera, and Mikey DelVecchio, stylist.

Jim, who appeared to be calm as Mikey styled his hair, hopes that he can muster that demeanor generally in 2018.

“I would like to be calmer and take one day at a time,” Jim said, “even though I know January will be very stressful. He was referring to the upcoming opera season.

Mikey is the lone male stylist at Definitions and admits that because of his working schedule his diet needs improvement.

“I am going to try very hard to eat a more balanced diet next year,” he said. “Now, I don’t eat enough. My goal is to eat more, not less.”

Lori Adams was on the same page with Mikey that she has a poor diet.

“I eat horribly, a lot of popcorn, all carbs,” Lori said, noting that her diet changed since her three sons were no longer at home.

“I have got to eat healthier and also exercise on a more regular basis to tone up this 50-year-old body,” she said. Lori said she also has serious intentions to visit her mother more often in Springfield, Ohio.

Lisa Bukovinsky and Mary Reed, who were sharing receptionist duties that day, had decisive but very different answers to the question.

Lisa said she will exercise more.

“But, at home, not in front of people in a gymnasium,” she laughed.

For Mary, the New Year hopefully will yield more facts on her family genealogy, a subject that fascinates her.

“I have asked Santa for a DNA kit,” she said, “and Santa is usually very good to me.

“I just want to know more about my ancestry. I have also asked for membership in ancestry. com.”

Darby Sue Stockman and Brianna Borer were at the shop to observe what they had learned in school in action at Definitions.

Brianna recently graduated from the Paul Mitchell School in Sylvania, and Darby Sue has 100 more hours before her studies at the same school are completed.

Now that she is ready to spread her wings in her chosen profession, Brianna’s New Year’s resolution is “to grow as a professional stylist.”

In contrast, Darby Sue plans to spend more time with her family. Her father, Ryan Stockman, died in November.

Patty Piasecki added humor to the responses. Or, maybe she was serious.

Patty, a longtime Toledo stylist as far back as the Lion Store, moved to Tampa, but she returns to Definitions about every six weeks, stays for a few days to pamper former customers, and then catches a plane home.

Patty took time from a color appointment to say, “In 2018, I will be on the hunt for a nice man with a big yacht.”

And what is my new year’s resolution? What I should resolve and what I prefer to promise are two different goals. I should promise myself and the people I keep bugging with tech questions to be more cell phone and computer savvy. Inasmuch as that will very likely never be achieved, I changed to a sure plan.

I resolve to meet and get to know interesting people like those above in the hair salon. It should be an easy start. I will have breakfast tomorrow at a bed and breakfast in Florida where six to eight guests gather at the dining room table for conversation and good food.

Mary Alice Powell is a retired Blade food editor. Contact her at poseypowell@aol.com.