Letter: Owner of Sessions grateful for the South Lake Tahoe community

After living here for over 42 years and working/owning Sessions Salon for 34 of those years, I have never been so grateful to be here.

Watching the extreme loss of life in our country has been heartbreaking, to say the least. Not having full access to our grandkids is painful but nothing compared to what people in many cities in the country have dealt with.

The closure of businesses everywhere has felt like a scary movie or perhaps the Twilight Zone! The mandates to determine which businesses would be considered “essential” was important to help combat the spread of the virus. The designation made me think at great length about what our profession and our services mean to our friends and clients for over three decades.

There have been many stories and clips on television about the upset for ladies and men dealing with not being able to cut and particularly color their hair as they do sometimes monthly.

The TV show Sunday Morning just had a comedy segment about how “traumatic” this has been to many. Of course with tongue in cheek as there is no comparison to the real tragedies in our world.

These six weeks while our salon has been closed, has made me really appreciate my interaction with all my clients. Sure this is how I make a living, but more than that it is my connection with all these men, women, and kids that I have missed the most. I am proud to feel so confident doing hair, but I always remember it’s not just about their hair. We stylists have the honor of becoming close to our clients and their life stories. We watch some grow up, get married, have children and become citizens of Lake Tahoe. Some go on to be firefighters, police officers, teachers, or successful in many fields.

Our rewarding profession is not about vanity but helping to build identity, self-image, and confidence in their lives.

The most fun we have is making changes in their hairstyles and colors. Our reward is what keeps them coming back and allows us to feel like our job is never boring.

So after we see what the so-called new normal will be, all we can do is continue to foster our personal relationships with our wonderful clients and test all of our technical skills to fix the YouTube cuts and colors they did at home!

Sessions has been successful since 1986 for many reasons. Particularly due to the amazing professional stylists that have been with Sessions and left their mark to maintain our reputation. Our goal has always been to create an enjoyable experience while relaxing in an atmosphere we are known for.

Thank you to our City officials, first responders, teachers, food store employees, Sessions stylists and residents for keeping Tahoe safe and healthy during this most trying time.

Pray for a good summer of fun for all.

Phil Blowney, Co-Owner
Sessions Salon