#192 - The power of the mint

The Power Of The Mint

This past weekend I attended the Kansas City Singles Initiative 2018 event. By any measure it was a great success. The venue was packed to capacity Friday evening. The weekend included four great speakers and some great social time where attendees could mingle, make new friends, and participate in some fun activities.

I was able to meet several wonderful and interesting people along with running into people that I hadn’t seen in a while. After playing several games of foosball, an old favorite game of mine, I struck up a conversation with a woman on the opposite side of the foosball table.

It was a causal conversation and we talked about family, work, activities we each enjoyed, and on and on. At one point in our conversation she pulled out a packet of gum. As she was putting it back in her purse, she offered me a piece and apologetically said “You don’t need it!”

We chuckled as we both recalled comedy skits where someone is offered a piece of gum or a mint and encouraged to take more than one. It’s a somewhat subtle way of saying “You have bad breath. Let me help you be a little less offensive.”

A while later, I ran into a man that I know and he struck up a conversation. It became somewhat uncomfortable shortly after we started talking.

Have you ever tried to talk to someone that had terrible breath? It’s really hard! And because of the background noise, you have to stand in very close proximity. There’s no getting away from it. No matter which way you turn your head, the foul odor reaches your nose.

And I didn’t have a mint or stick of gum to share!

This has prompted me to go back to a practice I used when I was a financial advisor. I never held a meeting without popping a mint in my mouth. As you well know, there’s not much worse than trying to hold a conversation with someone that has bad breath. It’s a huge distraction and prevents you from giving your full attention to the conversation.

Breath mints are easy enough to carry with you. Keep a pack in your car, in your purse, or in your pocket. If you smoke, drink wine, drink coffee, or eat spicy foods, make sure you have breath mints with you!

Make sure you see your dentist regularly. The foods you eat and the beverages you drink aren’t the only things that can cause bad breath. Bacteria, gum disease, and other medical conditions can affect your breath. Your dentist can also teach you how to brush and floss properly.

Maintaining good oral health is not only important for a great smile and fresh breath, it helps prevent other health problems. Again, ask your dentist for details.

Other Important Hygiene Practices
A shower is always a good thing. If you’ve worked hard all day make sure you jump in the shower before you go on your next date. It’s better to run a little late than to offend those around you with the malodorous air of body odor.

While you’re at it, slap on a little deodorant. This goes a long way in keeping people from turning up their noses and walking away! As silly as this may sound, it’s still an issue I run into and I’m sure you have too!

Some of us are prone to perspiring more than others at sometimes with only a minimum of exertion. If this is you, carry some deodorant for those special times when you just might run into another human being.

Proper Grooming
Now we’ve come to proper grooming. This can be a very delicate subject with many people, but one that needs to be addressed none the less.

Ladies, you’re generally much better at this than men…generally. You still need to look closely in the mirror. When you’re tweezing to create your perfect eyebrows, check the rest of your face. Is there that one lone long hair growing in an unusual place? Yes? Pluck it!

If you happen to have an unusually hairy upper lip, consider shaving or waxing. While you may think this seems extremely superficial, you’re right. It is. It’s also true that most men aren’t attracted to significant facial hair on a woman. This is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. God created us to be who we are and we need to play the cards we’ve been dealt.

Men, you’re not off the hook here. We generally have more problems in this area than the ladies do. First, let me say that I have no idea why the man bun and scraggly beards are a popular fashion statement these days. I also don’t understand the metrosexual look (all body hair removed from a man’s body).

And that brings me to the last couple of grooming tips for men. Guys, as we age, we generally get hairier (except for the top of our heads). This extra hair needs attention! I’m talking eyebrows, ears, and nose. The trifecta of men’s grooming that’s most commonly ignored.

It’s easy enough to go to Walmart and pick up a decent hair trimming scissors and tweezers. If you have gangly eyebrows, trim them up a little. I know that if I let mine go, I’d be looking like Leonid Brezhnev of the old Soviet Union.

Trim the nose hairs that are sticking out beyond the edge of your nose. A couple of quick snips on each side and you’re good to go.

Finally, tweeze those ears. Get rid of the unsightly hair growing out of your ears. Just look closely in the mirror and you’ll see them growing there. A quick pluck with a tweezers and you’re good to go. It takes just a couple minutes a week to keep yourself looking neat and well-trimmed.

If you go to a barber regularly, he’ll probably trim your eyebrows and ears for you.

Clean and Pressed
One last thing and this is mostly for the guys. Whenever you’re heading out for a date, make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. Don’t grab a nearly clean shirt or pair of pants from the clothes basket and don’t pick up your date looking like you just walked out of the wrinkle factory!

Never believe a clothing label that says “Wrinkle free”! I’ve never seen a single shirt or pair of pants that came out of the dryer wrinkle free. Invest in an iron and ironing board and learn how to use them. It’s not hard and will make all the difference in the world when it comes to making an impression…especially first impressions.

If you don’t want to invest the time in ironing, consider taking your shirts and pants out to be laundered. You’re guaranteed to have clean and well pressed clothes every time.

Why am I reminding you of all these common-sense hygiene habits? Because we all need a little reminder now and then. I want you to be the best that you can be at all times. Your dating and relationship success is important to me.

Now, grab some mints and enjoy your day!

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I hope you enjoyed today’s topic. If you have questions or suggestions for other topics, please send them to [email protected].

Have a great and blessed day!