"Be Zen and Fix Stuff"

Over the years, I have discovered that I have a rather unusual talent, a talent which I have developed into a skill. The best description I can come up with for it is that I have the ability to “be zen and fix stuff.” In other words, I am the person you want to have around at your wedding or backstage at a theatrical performance or concert to solve problems and deal with emergencies on the fly. For all that I am a tightly wound person under most circumstances, throw me into a crunch situation and I am perfectly calm and serene – particularly if I am not one of the major players.

One sign that I am the “be zen and fix stuff” person is the contents of my purse. I generally carry bandaids, a nail file, various OTC medications, children’s toys, feminine supplies, and assorted hair stuff (barrettes, elastics, bobby pins) at all times. I can deal with a hair disaster, a medical emergency, and a sobbing child without breaking a sweat. And after years of being the ZenFixer, the contents of my purse have expanded to become what I like to call my complete BECHMMOR (Backstage Emergency Costume, Hair, Makeup, Medical, and Other Repairs) kit. 

Should you wish to become a ZenFixer yourself, here are the necessary ingredients for such a kit:

Costume Repairs

• Hand-sewing needles pre-threaded with appropriate colored thread: black, white, navy, tan, and any colors specific to the occasion (e.g., the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses for a wedding or the colors of the singers’ outfits for a concert). Leave one needle unthreaded in case you need a different color.
• Spools of thread in multiple colors, including lights and darks
• Small scissors
• Large scissors
• A seam ripper
• Straight pins
• Safety pins in multiple sizes
• A black sharpie (I wouldn’t use it on a rented tux, but you can use it to “clean” a costume tux in seconds)
• Clear nail polish (best for pantyhose runs but can also help stop small tears in any lightweight fabric from worsening, and can even be used as glue in a pinch)
• Optional: talcum powder or Wite-Out to instantly “clean” white fabrics (especially handy for gentlemen who shaved a bit too close and bled on their shirt collars)
• Optional: spare pantyhose (women wear hose less often than we used to, but in a theatrical or wedding setting when they are being worn, it’s always a good idea to have an extra pair or two on hand)

Hair Repairs

• Bobby pins
• Hair elastics
• Hairspray

Makeup Repairs

• Makeup sponges
• Chapstick (helps prevent lipstick bleeding and dry lips and mouth caused by heavy lipstick, plus a little on your front teeth stops lipstick from getting on them)
• Concealer stick
• Several shades of lipstick
• Makeup remover and cotton balls or Q-tips
• Optional: additional makeup such as eyeshadows, blush, mascara samplers (obviously not wise to share) and disposable makeup brushes and applicators

Medical Emergencies

• Bandaids (flesh-colored, various sizes)
• Pain reliever
• Benadryl (optional: Caladryl lotion)
• Tums or Pepto Bismol tablets
• Cough drops and/or throat lozenges
• Eye drops
• Styptic pencil

Other Repairs

• Tampons
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Breath mints and/or gum
• Nail clippers
• Scotch tape
• Duct tape/electrical tape/gaffer’s tape (in a theatre setting, this is generally already on hand, usually in every color of the rainbow)
• Small screwdriver set
• Tweezers
• A pen and/or a pencil

With this kit, you can fix any emergency from smudged lipstick to a torn hem to an allergic reaction to a blister to someone being locked in the bathroom. You can sew someone into a costume or rip them out. You can soothe their throat and soothe their nerves all at the same time.

You, too, can Be Zen and Fix Stuff!