Haircuts and Chicken Soup
I put haircuts and chicken soup in the same category. When I’m sick, chicken noodle soup is one of my comfort foods. The warm liquid feels so incredible as I’m fighting off a fever, sore throat, or other ailment. When I’m not sick, getting a haircut seems to brighten my day and give me warm fuzzy feelings inside.
Why does chicken soup taste and feel so good when we are sick? I’m guessing the warmth is a big part of it. Warm liquids feel really great on the throat. It also seems to have less chance of upsetting a tender stomach than other foods. I think the fact that its a thin, watery liquid also helps. Thicker soups just don’t go down as well; they seem to irritate the throat. Maybe another part is just purely psychological. For hundreds of years children have been told chicken soup is good for the soul and if you are sick, it should be your primary food source. The perception is popular enough to spawn an entire self-help book series. Is there anything unique of nutritional value in chicken soup? I have no idea.
Haircuts, on the other hand, are something that I do when I’m healthy which emotionally affect me much like chicken soup. If I’m having a normal day, after getting a haircut I usually feel on some sort of emotional high. If I’m having a bad emotional day, after a haircut I’ll walk out of the shop feeling much better and usually better than my “normal” emotional state. I have no idea why, but I find it fascinating to ponder why this peculiar result happens from a simple haircut.
