 Donna
Gets it Right ----
11 - 23 - 04
Going, Going
........ Gray
I decided a few months ago to stop
coloring my hair and let my natural
color come out.
I’d been cutting it back slowly,
ever so slightly letting my natural
hair color make its way to the ends.
I didn’t want it too short at
first. Then one night I couldn’t
take it any more and just went crazy
with the scissors. I just had to see
what my natural hair looked like. And
it’s NOT the color in my picture
at the top of this column. It actually
looks black, with plenty of gray. I
think the term is salt and pepper.
My hair is now super-short. Wash and
go, but still feminine. And I really
love it.
Now, I know this sounds like a very girly thing to get emotional
over, and maybe it is. But I’ve been coloring my hair
for at least 15 years. On and off going to the beauty parlor,
because when I couldn’t afford spending $65+ on my hair,
L’Oreal 6G, at about $7 did the trick.
I’m still amazed every time I see my reflection. It’s
been about a month now with my natural hair, and I still stand
and stare in the mirror and wonder what happened to the perpetually
young girl I always thought I was. I mean, all the signs of
getting older were right there in front of me. But it seems
that my new “do” has changed all that. Not necessarily
for the worse, but still changed.
Here are the facts:
- I’m 41.
- My knees aren’t what they
used to be (neither is the rest of
my body for matter).
- My husband is 9 years younger.
- Most
of today’s music gives me a
headache.
- I think
clothing styles for my daughters
is too trampy.
- I have a 3 year old. (see 1 and
2)
For all this, I still never really
thought of myself as old or even older
for
that
matter. Was this all due to the color
of my hair? I do a lot of thinking
while looking in the mirror these days.
And not the
way I used to. In the past I used it
to decide if the left or right was
my best profile, to see what facial
expression made me look coolest, sexiest,
or smarter. And like most young girls,
I sang in front of it into my hair
brush.
Now the mirror is showing a new chapter
in my life. And it’s not really
a question of whether I’m ready
for it. I’m here. My life is
here. There’s no more doubting
whether I should have gone to college,
or if I’ve chosen the right career.
I can still do those things, change
those things. I’m just not saying “I
wish I would have” anymore. This
has turned into quite a revelation
for me, a kind of empowerment.
I loved the part in the movie Fried
Green Tomatoes where the two young
women steal Kathy Bates’ parking
space. When she tries to tell them
she’d been waiting for it, they
snidely say “Face it lady, we’re
younger and faster!” After she
smashes into their car about 14 times
while screaming hysterically, she composes
herself and says “Face it girls,
I’m older and I have more insurance.” From
a comedy standpoint I always thought
that was a hilarious line, but now
I really get it.
Is that going to be me in 10 years?
I hope not, but if it is, I need to
give Tommy Fincher, my insurance guy
and fellow Springer, a call and make
sure I’m covered.
Until next time………
Donna
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