Unfinished Business

You’ve probably never given any thought to what life might be like for a man living and working in a woman’s world. However, if you were to ask G. Edwin Crandall, you might be enlightened by what he has to say. He is what a man should be: idealistic, sensible, good-humored, dashing, witty, sensual, genuine, and determined. He’s not your ordinary man about town. Among other things, he’s an extraordinary hairstylist with an intriguing story to tell, and he’s not just talking shop. Even though most women find him easy to confide in, he has promises and secrets he must keep, layered with a few of his deep dark secrets scattered here and there. Through a succession of life’s empiracle lessons, Edwin embraces his nurturing side early, discovering there’s more to life than just another pretty face. Enter his world and join him for a voyage de votre vie, where the story will unfold to uncover his rise to fame, close encounters, trouble in paradise, and his ultimate realization that women with great style don’t merely dazzle, they inspire and can rock your world! A Synopsis from Layers the novel

As far back as I can remember, I have found women to be a visceral source of love, desire, and inspiration. They have been a guiding light and driving force behind my personal and professional growth, as a man, and as a hairdresser. Because of this unique relationship, I have been allowed to touch the inner beauty and mystery of women over numerous years and found many unafraid to give of their heart and soul, and when necessary, to be tender and bold. I stand in awe of their courage. I have always been driven not by what’s happening with women, but why.

It is their willingness to allow me to connect, embrace, and share their vulnerability, at times while facing excruciating adversity, that inspired me to write Layers. I believe that men and women must work as one to remain strong enough to rise above old cliches- because without working together, this age-old detachment between men and women will be a battle that can never be won. The doors that will disprove the myth that men and women are from other worlds have become shut tight. The only way to pry them open to reveal the truth is to bring this discussion to a peaceful resolution. One that will teach us and our children that gender equality is a society in which men and women enjoy the same opportunities, rights, responsibilities, and obligations in all spheres of life. Both genders should be held accountable for their actions in an egalitarian society. Gender equality is intrinsically linked to the sustainable development of our species, and is a vital component of the realization of equal human rights for all.

Indeed, an informed and enlightened woman unleashing the power from within is unstoppable. With the click of her heels, a flick of her hair, and layered up in style, she can have that grace and allure that’s hers alone— because women who live with optimism are infallible, and can make dreams come true. When teamed up with men bearing the same empowerment of truth and honor, it will become a force driven by love, kindness, and authenticity. 

Gender equality is more important now than at any other time in history, and given the role that language plays in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote equality among the sexes and eradicate gender bias once and for all. The problem is that men and women have different expectations and rules of conduct. Each gender tends to prioritize things differently. Until we can accept “differing prime concerns” and come to some agreement on “mutual priorities”, we will continue to have conflict. Men and women operate differently with divergent experiences and opinions, but that should not restrict their ability to communicate on a playing field of uncompromising equality. A woman is human. She is not better, wiser, stronger, more intelligent, more creative, more nurturing, or carries more responsibility than a man. Likewise, she is never less. Equality between the sexes is simply a given. 

I would say, nonetheless, that there’s one thing that women stand alone on. From her, kings are born, a woman is born; without a woman, there would be no one at all.

From the moment I reached the top of the stairs leading into beauty school insted of the assumptive “halls of ivy”, I swung open the door to the grandiose world of “euphoric gender vibrations” and entered a playground of intense excitement, artistic expression, and energized well-being. Over the years my desire to find fleshy rewards and social activities would satisy my my curiosity as to why I seemed so comfortable living in a world surrounded by an inequality among the sexes. After all my years probing the minds of countless men and women, I discovered the only explicable between men and women is often their “indisputible” and “undefinable perception” of one another. After the last fifteen years of intense research and study among the sexes, I find it a little banal that the best advice I can give to people is that we are all equal and we need only to be a bit kinder to one another. Until the stark reality of equality between man and woman is fully understood, the highest social development of mankind is nearly impossible.

If one is to discover self and purpose, they must enter the process encompassing both their conscious and unconscious selves along with the way you percieve the world. The way you view the world is a reflection of yourself along with your thoughts, actions, and many other characteristics. If a child is nutured in a healthy environment, that child will most likely develop a healthy sense of self and self-esteem as and adult.

Blessings, dear ladies and gentlemen.