On the edge of your seat

I bite my nails. I don't know why - I've always done it, as long as I can remember.

I don't bite them to the quick any more. I managed to stop, for awhile there, and had pretty french polished nails that were all my own. Then Tobermory has the migraine which involved him trying to beat his head through the hospital wall, and I bit them all off that night.

I haven't quite recovered.

These days, they're just past the quick - there is some visible white - and I think I've finally grown out all the damage that I caused wearing fake nails for our wedding. I don't regret it - they were lovely fake french nails, and the pictures are pretty as a result. I am vain enough to care about this.

It does bother me, and with the damage grown out, I've started painting my nails again. At the moment it's with one of the magic voodoo formulas that Sally Hansen produces - probably completely useless for any of the things it promises to do (Titanium complex! Magic growth formula!) but it tastes so utterly foul when I chew on my nails that I'm less prone to have a vague thoughtless nibble.

I spent years, as a teenager, wishing I was someone a bit different. I think most people go through a similar phase. But I grew up; and sometime in the last few years I realised that the only way to get to be the kind of person I want to be is get off my butt and do something about it. Yes, that's an obvious comment, but knowing it and actually KNOWING it, having your brain go "Hey, I could do X and it would make me more like who I want to be!"... there's a fairly significant sea change involved in that thought process. Somewhere along the lines, stopping biting my nails, and thus having presentable pretty hands, is part of the change to who I wish I was. It's also why I bought suits in the UK, because I'd kind of like to be the kind of woman who wears suits. And now, I guess, I am a woman who wears suits, because frankly it makes life easier in the mornings - fall out of bed, find clean shirt, throw suit on.

And pretty hands is just one of those things that ... well, appearances are important. People - or at least, women - notice your hands, your nails, and I want mine to be attractive.

Originally published at spinneretta.com » Click here « to leave any comments.