A Green Thumb

Turning Capelli Green

My thumb turns light green, barely noticeable when it comes to gardening, but guess what? I was using it in the wrong places.  These past few weeks, my thumb turned brilliant green, it almost jaded  the sun. Well, I’m exaggerating a few layers of green.

One of my joys is having my hair done by Tom at Capelli on El Camino. We have great conversations on literature, movies, politics, current events and on life itself. Insert a few naughty jokes. Oh, yes, he does good hair, too. And he has my books on his shelf.

This past Christmas, I befriended a young mother from Hawaii who was here alone with her infant son Loa, who needed life-saving surgery at one of our hospitals. When Tom heard this, he unplugged his miniature Christmas tree and said, “Here, take this to the baby.”  I did, and Loa had Christmas in ICU into the new year.

Back to Capelli,  I usually go before my appointed time because I enjoy their never-ending coffee pot. It’s strange sometime, how it will take years for my senses to become aware of my surroundings. Two weeks ago, I noticed the Styrofoam cups I’ve been using for years.

It suddenly clicked. Styrofoam. Unhealthy to our bodies. They fill our landfills, our oceans, dangerously affect our natural environment. Besides, I wondered the dollars spent on Styrofoam cups by Capelli to bring comfort to their clients.

Since the pen is my best friend, I wrote the following poem, framed it in a green frame and left it near the coffee pot. This week, there were no Styrofoam. I drank out of my own mug. And no one tarred and feathered me out of Capelli.  Capelli  is now  green.

      Join me in keeping Capelli green.

      Bring your own signature cup

      To end Styrofoam clogging

      Rivers, coral reefs and Planet Earth.

     Let’s keep Capelli green,

    Sipping  java, brewed to taste

    While magic  appears

    Under Capelli hands.

You are welcomed to use this poem to keep another part of our world greener than it was yesterday.