Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

I have an awful time ending relationships. For instance, relationships with hairdressers. Beauticians. Hair stylists. Whatever. These relationships are based on finances so one would think it would be easy to just stop seeing this person. But, for me and many that I know, that is not the case. The lady (Mollie) who does my hair is someone very close to me. I have known her for many years and see her outside of the salon on a regular basis. This poses quite a problem because I would really like to "see" someone else. But, if I do, this person will know because, as I said, I see her often. And, believe me, she is the type who would confront me as to who cut my hair. In fact, she has in the past.

My neighbor/friend is a stylist, too. She is young and cute and hip and I really like her hair and the styles that she gives others that I know. But, she works at the same salon as Mollie. Oy. My stylist is older and gives me the same style every time despite being asked/begged/instructed to do something else. Now, she does a fine job and I love the color that we have finally agreed on but, every now and then, you just need to mix things up, y'know?

My neighbor, Andrea, started cutting Her Highness's hair about a year and a half ago. Mollie noticed and mentioned it to me and to Andrea. I knew that she was unhappy and insulted and paid for it with the wrong color the next time I saw her. So, I am desperate to have Andrea do my hair but am afraid of insulting Mollie. So, I stay.

I also just broke it off with HH's dance studio, which she has attended since she was two. They have moved several times and are now half an hour away from my home and it has become too difficult and time consuming to go there. I wanted to make this break last year but didn't have the balls to do so; however, with The Conqueror in our lives, I was more motivated. So, I did not attend registration. Simple enough, right?

Wrong. The owner of the studio called me! To see if I had forgotten about registration! Yikes! Well, I had just (and I mean within 15 minutes of her call) spoken to another teacher and arranged to begin lessons at her studio. So, I dodged the call. (I know, I suck.) I am not good at saying no and if I had answered the phone, HH would probably be taking lessons at both studios! And then RxMan would not be happy!

I did muster enough courage to call and leave a message (smack in the middle of the day, when I knew she was probably working) that HH would not be attending her studio this year. I thanked her profusely for the call and for "everything" and explained that it was just too far. I felt relieved for a while. Now, I just feel guilty. Logically, I know that they are not really going to miss us but I feel like they were really counting on my $50 a month and they have watched HH grow up and are always very nice about scheduling on convenient days and times. Sigh.

All of this guilt makes me wonder if I am Catholic.