Six Degrees of Nail Polish

"Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is an average of six 'steps' away from each person on Earth." (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

You know what? I'm beginning to believe it! Case in point: Getting my nails done. I resisted professional manicures and acrylic nails for many years. I never liked the look in the early days of the phenomena. I didn't think I could function in my daily life with them. However, when I accepted my job at a cosmetics counter in a major department store, I figured my hands better look good while I was performing my makeup magic on them. So I broke down and decided to do a short acrylic full set.

My first step was to get a few recommendations from people I trust. I almost always do things on personal recommendations. I like the intimacy of a personal recommendation rather than relying on, say, a newspaper ad. So I began asking around.

I stared at everybody's hands. "Ooooh, who did your gorgeous nails?" They would give me a name. "I love your nails. Where do you get them done?" They would give me a name. And on and on it went. After a few days, one salon's name kept popping up far and above the rest. The capper was when a good friend of mine (we'll call her #1) told me she drives almost 40 miles to this very same salon to get her nails done! The skeptic in me was satisfied. I made an appointment, got my nails and have been a very satisfied customer ever since. (See, I can even type with these things!)

One day at work, I am talking to one of the other counter managers (we'll call her #2) and I just happened to ask her where she gets her nails done. Guess? You probably got it, but not only the same salon. . . the same operator! Number 2 talks about another lady that I happen to know (we'll call her #3) and she gets her nails done by the same operator, too. I am starting to get blown away here.

Then one day soon after, I was waiting in line to pay for my coffee at a convenience store and I saw a lady with great nails so I asked her "THE QUESTION." We can now call her #4. This pattern repeated itself many times until I stopped counting at #10 or thereabouts.

The real "gotcha moment," though, came when I was talking to Friend #1 just last night. She not only uses the same operator at the same salon, but she mentioned to me that she was referred originally by my work buddy (#2) many years ago. I never even knew they knew each other! She then went on to mention some other people who were customers at this salon and I knew them all. Wow!

Six Degrees of Separation. In the world of nail polish, though, I think it's even closer. Who knows? Maybe all of us ladies are closely related by our fingertips. :)