Haricuts and Understanding "Hell"

Some 22 years after my very first haircut shown here, yesterday I wanted to get my haircut. [The first time I heard the joke about "well actually I went to get them ALL cut" I thought it was the funniest thing ever, but now I find it slightly overused, but because I still think it's funny I decided to include it in this "I'm not really going to say it" bracketed comment]. I knew that there were some new places in town, but I just wasn't familiar with them. I haven't had my haircut here for years, since last summer I let it totally grow out. I drove around, slightly aimlessly until I finally found a place, and rejoiced much. Only after I made some tricky driving maneuvers to get in the parking lot did I find it was closed. Gr. 

I finally resorted to going to the place in the mall where I had always gone in high school.  Even though it was all but empty they told me it would be 30 minutes. Gr. I wandered around the mall, not interested in any of the stores. I wandered into Macy's where I was further disgusted by the worldliness and ridiculous prices therein. That almost made me more angry than the waiting. Gr. I went back to the hair place after 30 minutes and waiting another 15 for my turn. 

It was awful. At this point, having driven around, found the closed place, wandered a tiny mall, glimpsed the pride of the world, and waited some more, I was just plain annoyed. I didn't want this to be such a long trip. I quickly became cynical of everyone and everything around me, wondering why the hair ladies couldn't work a little quicker (until my turn, when they could take their time and do quality work...).  I was just mad at the world and annoyed. But...I realized I had no one or nothing to really be mad at...but myself. It was my decisions and actions that led me to that spot. No one to blame but myself. 

Today I thought a little more about that tiny moment of anger and frustration. Perhaps, in a small minute way, that's what Hell is like. Hell isn't so much a place, as it is a state of mind. After this life, we go to a Spirit World, where we continue to learn and grow and wait the resurrection at which time we'll be judged according to our actions and desires and rewarded one of three Kingdoms of Heaven, or Kingdoms of Glory. The Glory is compared to the glory of the sun, moon, and stars. Eternal life with God and Exaltation is of course the glory of the sun - so bright that we can't even look at it noonday, and such wonderful glory we can't even imagine the happiness there.  I am sure there is no such place as a fiery and red Hell. In fact, every child of God will be offered a place in one of the degrees of Glory. 

So what is Hell? Most of the times, it's referring to the state of mind knowing that you could have done better. Knowing that you were angry and upset and frustrated with the world - because you didn't receive all the Glory that you had hoped, or that your friends/family received - but you also know that you have no one to blame but yourself and your personal choices and actions. And knowing that it's your fault, only adds to your pain and suffering. No one else at the hair place knew how I felt, just like Hell is an individualized and eternal suffering that is hard to comprehend - it's the pain and torment knowing that you could have had Eternal Life and lived with God forever, but chose the ways of the world instead.  Perhaps because such a suffering is so intangible and hard to comprehend, over the years prophets and apostles have adopted metaphors such as gnashing of teeth and fire and brimstone just to make sure that we understand one thing: We don't want that. 

I am so grateful for a Loving Heavenly Father who gives all His children equal access to the great Plan of Salvation that allows us, through the grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, to escape the suffering and torment of Hell, and enter into the loving, embracing arms of our Father in Heaven. 

P.S. - The girl who cut my hair was cute and nice, which quickly dissolved my mini anguish attack. All is well.