The Fluency Beauty Salon

“Mommy, who’s that beautiful lady beside daddy?” After I moved from Taipei to Changhua, I hung up my wedding picture and got this awful question from my two year old daughter. Furthermore, my sister said: ”You’re totally distorted. Don’t you know Beauty is the only thing that counts in a woman’s life?”  So, I asked myself “How did I turn out this way?” “What am I going to do?” “Where can I ask for help?” Oh! My dear ladies, don’t we all wish we could find a magic way to tell beauty back and STAY every day! And not just put it on the skin deep but also to the bone.

Luckily, thanks to our great cosmetic industry, Oley, SK2……was produced. “Are you my classmate?” “No, I am your teacher!” Does the TV commercial sound familiar to you? Have you ever tried any of the products? Mmm, I think, Those companies should send the appreciation certifications to us. for you are all so beautiful. I believe it works. And I don’t want to look like your  high school teacher, I decided to try the cosmetic products.

Money is not a problem, (especially paid by my husband.) so I bought a lot of Oley, SK2…and smeared all of them on my face. On the first day, nothing happened. On the second day a little tickling feeling came out. When I looked into the mirror on the third day and ready to say: “Mirror, mirror, tell me I’m the most beautiful woman in Won…won… 哇” I found a stranger with a big and red face looking back at me.  Yes, I got a new face, but it was all swelled up and it was as red as a fire truck.” To tell the truth, it looked more like a pig’s head than my original head.

I went to the hospital in the very early morning. “You’ve got a severe allergy.” The Dr. said “You should never use cosmetics again.” And that’s why you see, I seldom apply make up on my face.

My Plan A “Cosmetic” failed entirely. Time to go back to the drawing board. All of a sudden, plan B popped into my mind. If cosmetics are useless, how about trying the eating remedy? After all, it is the wisdom of our great ancestors. Besides, it is totally natural. I ate everything that is helpful to be beautiful. Such as sparrow’s nest, pearl powder, snake soup and queen bee’s royal jelly. The only thing I didn’t drink was SK2.  I was afraid to be allergic again and looked like the classmate of 孫悟空 (or: the animal I don’t like. Or: the animal I used to call my husband when I was angry.)

I paid a lot of attention to my body image, but change did not come easily. So I decided to keep myself busy to forget it. Therefore, I joined Fluency and expected myself to do at least four speeches every year. That really made me busy and forgot about the aging.

Can you imagine it? When I did my C1 speech, my feet were trembling, my voice was shivering and my heart was thumping. I could hardly finish my speech.

When delivering my C2 speech, there were butterflies in my stomach. After stepping off the stage. I almost fainted and need my evaluator to do CPR for me.  That feeling kept following me till my C5 speech. But by doing, I learned a lot. I found myself becoming more confident little by little. It became easier for me to conquer stage fright and step out of my comfort zone.

The confidence that slowly increased in me help swept away the cloudy feelings of self pity. A young and energetic personality emerged out of the mists. I no longer put my focus on my appearance. Instead, I try to enrich my life continuously. That is the secret of keeping young.

After joining Fluency toastmasters club, I felt my life being uplifted. The club is just like a magician, turning my life from upside down to right side up. I know that though I cannot stop myself from aging. I can always be young at heart. As my mom said, Beauty attracts a man coming to you, but it is the character and your brain that make him stay.  So, my dear daughter: Who is the pretty lady beside your daddy? Of cause, it’s me! If she is some one else, I wish she will be one of the FTC members, because Toastmasters’ Beauty Salon sales the magic cosmetics you can hardly imagine Therefore, if you haven’t joined a toastmasters club yet, come, and you will find endless treasures waiting for you!