May 31st, 2016
My husband turns 60 on March 22nd, 2017. We are preparing a trip to the Florida Keys to celebrate. I thought it would be fun to write his story. I am always interviewing women and their stories fascinate me. My husband has lived many lives in his 59 years. We run into people who knew him when he was a dj, the owner of Scissors where he managed over 30 staff members, a technical representative for Joico, travelling through Asia or styling the hair of stars and royalty.
I recall once when we were at a friend's house, he sat at a piano and started playing. We had been dating a year and I didn't know he could play. His music was beautiful and his reply to my quizzical look was: "I just like to make stuff up". That is when I found out that his father was a musician and Vincent inherited his talent. He never took a lesson, it just comes to him.
In recent years, he started writing about his childhood in an effort to process painful experiences and put them to rest. He hands over the computer and says: "What do you think?". His writing is powerful, it elicits strong emotions and gives you the impression that you are experiencing everything along with him. His writing is very visual, like an oil painting of every scene only overlaid with potent emotions.
My husband is a stylist. He trained with Vidal Sassoon in London. My first glimpse at his magic was when he did my hair which is how we met. He explained that my hair was damaged and he would need to cut a few inches off. This would bring my hair up to my jaw. I insisted that if he cut my hair that short I would look like a mushroom. He assured me that I wouldn't. We had our wager. He was right. I had never received so many compliments. So, I decided to date him :)
I have watched him take years off of women in 90 minutes. They are smiling, their posture has changed and they seem to be floating on air. I love watching him work. His competence turns me on. I also love seeing him with older clients. He has many elderly clients who have been with him for a long time. He was very close to his grandmother and he is very sweet, gentle and respectful of his older clients. My grandmother always flirted with Vincent. Ever since he serenaded her with: Michelle, ma belle. Did I mention he sings really well? She would ask me where he was whenever I visited her while Vincent was at work. She would comment: "He's got those dreamy eyes".
Vincent loves the finer things in life. He has exposed me to travel and delicious food. He is happiest in a warm destination, with a view of the sea or the mountains, grilling steak on the BBQ with a beer or a robust red wine. He enjoys floating around the swimming pool wearing his sunglasses and a straw hat with a beer in his hands. He is great with animals. Our dog follows him everywhere. I watch him pick up our cat and do whatever he wants with him. The cat doesn't complain, he curls into his chest or lap and purrs his appreciation. When we boarded horses, Vincent would check on them, fill their water containers and have little chats, private, whispered affairs that ended in one of the horses licking his forehead.
When we had children, I worried that we would lose our connection but, thanks to our weekly dates, we have preserved our intimacy and bond as a couple. He is very silly and the girls always tell me he is much more fun than I am. I agree. He is particularly fond of toilet humour, I think that's a British thing. Vincent is very passionate. He loves to restore old cars, collect memorabilia, listen to music like David Bowie, The Beatles, Sting, get tattoos, ride his motorbike or convertible, watch documentaries about politics, nature, musicians and innovators, travel, visit historical sites like Chichen Itsza, and watch you tube videos about DIY projects. He is super handy. He likes to build furniture out of barn board and fix things around the house. Last year, he McGivered a heating system for our pool by stapling black hoses to the tin roof of his shed. See what I mean?
His creativity extends to his cooking as well. We always joke that we are a match made in heaven because he loves to cook and I love to eat. Vincent cooks on his days off. We eat salads, stews, steaks, pasta, always tasty and beautifully plated. The rest of the week, I cook. Generally, that means a one pot meal like shepherd's pie, chicken fried rice, lasagna or spaghetti carbonara.
So, that was my intro. I meant to write his story today, the one he shared during our weekly "interviews" over lunch at our favourite Vietnamese restaurant. However, I have run out of time and space just writing my own observations. I will have to jump right in tomorrow and share the story of Vincent Walsh with you.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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