The Circle of Command

Now pay attention.

I go to cosmetology school.

I work at a salon.

The two are owned by the same people.

This can get confusing. Especially when I tell stories about school, or work.

The same things happen at both places.

Hair cuts

Perm waves

Pedicures

Facials

The chain of command is especially confusing.

One of my instructors at school is a nail technician at work. This means she is my boss at work and kind of a boss-type at school. Not so confusing.

One of the lead receptionists at work is a junior student at school. I am not a lead receptionist at work but am a senior student at school. She tells me how it's done during the day, I tell her how it's done at night.

My boss at work was student with me at the cosmetology school. This made us equals until she became my boss. Now she is my boss at work and training to be an instructor at school. At work, she's in charge. At school, she's not allowed to tell me what to do. This is a little more confusing, no?

Another instructor at school is a frequent client at work. This means I get to serve her bottled water while she waits to get her hair colored during the day and then she critiques the placement of my perm rods at night.

Sometimes I work from 8am to 4pm and then go to school from 5pm to 9pm all in the same day. The roles have to change that quickly. On the most confusing of days I go from being a pee-on at one moment to the big man on campus the next. Fortunately I've gotten used to switching roles appropriately.

The whole thing kind of reminds me of the old folk song, I'm My Own Grandpa. See if you can figure this one out.