A closed mouth collects no foot

That is a saying I once read in a fortune cookie and I can't tell you how many times I have been a victim of my own mouth. Most recently, a client who sees me on a weekly basis mentioned an article she read. Now before I go on, I want to say that this particular client of mine seems to be very interested in my opinion on things (DANGER! DANGER!) and many times tells me about her experiences with some very colorful people she happens to come across. Anyway, she tells me that she read an article saying that over 50% of Americans now have tattoos. Well, this is when the mistake occurred. I opened my mouth and ended up hurting the feeling of people at school who I very much appreciate knowing. Mind you, I have nothing against tattoos, I even think some are really cool. They're just not for me. I said something about how ever time I've considered getting a tattoo, I think about how its going to look when I'm 80. Considering how much trends change and much a person can grow within the course of a year and that tattoo that once had so much meaning, may have become not only an eyesore, but a painful reminder of things that have since passed. That would have been bad enough, but I had to go on. And on. And on. And on. Well, I ended up upsetting someone who I have the pleasure of knowing as a result of my cosmetology education. I've even gone so far as to say that I would love to work whereever this particular person is working when we graduate. I spent the next four days going over and over in my head what I said and I how I went way too far and should have just responded to my client by saying, "that doesn't surprise me." I SHOULD have changed the subject and not ran my mouth like a train with no brakes. But I didn't. What I did do was quickly apologize once I knew I'd upset this particular person. Rather than walk around with my tail between my legs for the next five months, I've realized that this is part of my human experience. I may be in my mid-30's, but that doesn't mean I don't still have a lot of growing to do. I know that even though something isn't for me, it doesn't mean I can't respect the same thing about someone else. I also learned that in our industry, sometimes its best to not have a opinion that you are willing to share with your client. Even if they agree with you, the person in the next chair may not, or even the person styling said person's hair.