Mistext, Missteps, and the Mind's Tricks

Yesterday, after a month of not writing a single thought in my journal, I finally picked it up. Just as I was about to write, I remembered I needed a haircut. I switched to Google Translate and typed, "¿Estás disponible hoy?"—"Are you available today?" in Spanish.

I sent it to my barber and then went back to my journal, where I wrote about doubt, fears, and living emotional truths.

I kept switching back to WhatsApp to check for a response, but none came. The two blue checkmarks were there, meaning he had read the message, but there was no reply. I thought, "He must be angry I haven’t come in for a cut in the last three weeks." But then I remembered I hadn’t gone to another barber; I was just trying to grow my hair out to maintain a consistent style.

After almost two hours of waiting and growing weary, I ran out the door to my barber’s shop to check on him. When I arrived, he was sitting in his chair, looking at his phone, and my heart raced—oh, he must be angry with me.

My Spanish isn't strong, but I have a pedicure lady who always translates for me. I proudly showed her the text and said he wasn’t responding. My barber looked at his phone and said, "No! No!! No message," and he showed me his screen.

I checked my phone—it was the wrong barber I had messaged. I smiled at my mistake and offered an apology right there as I sat down for a cut. We both started laughing, and he gestured for me to make sure I call the right number next time.

Then I remembered: the other barber I messaged doesn’t even speak Spanish. He must have looked at his phone and thought, "What?"

Is it all in my head, or is my mind playing tricks on me? Maybe I’m being too generous. If he doesn’t have my number saved, I probably looked like one of those scammers who randomly text people: "Hey, do you want to go for a golf session tomorrow?"

Most of the time, it’s just us—our minds, our fears, and our anxiety about the world reflected in our thoughts. Often, our fears are greater than reality. That’s rich coming from me, especially since I’m Mr. Inner Voice Magnified. Like the picture I used above, which I took in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas in November 2023, I’m still wondering how it’s possible for the guy to stand on the other guy’s one arm—haha! Yet, it doesn’t make it any less true that we all overthink.

Instead of checking in with ourselves and confronting things head-on, we magnify our fears. Instead of talking to the other person about the situation, we make things up in our minds.