Gray Matters

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said once a week someone makes a comment about my (gray) hair. It’s interesting when a stranger says something to me. Sometimes they’ll be complimentary, and other times, I’m told, from a stranger no less, that I should dye my hair.

Along with the comments about my hair, I now notice the hair color of people my age and older, regardless of gender. I’m actually a little embarrassed to be flaunting my roots when I see ninety-year-old women still covering up their roots. It’s common for men to have gray in their hair. However, for women it’s different. We are suppose to hide it--“Does she or doesn’t she?”

In 2007, during the Thanksgiving holidays my hairdresser had to change my appointment. I was having my roots dyed monthly, but, realistically, I needed to have it done every three weeks. By the fourth week, I was doing a serious comb-over.

So, it was my fourth week and my appointment was rescheduled for after Thanksgiving, which meant I spent the holiday feeling very self-conscious about my roots and doing my best comb-over. It was during this time I saw the ridiculous amounts of gray I was hiding and decided to surrender. Why fight it?

My hair grows about half an inch each month. Depending on how I wear my hair, either I’m covered completely in gray (pulled back in a high ponytail), or it’s straight down and most of the gray is in front.

Some of my dearest friends tell me to cover my roots. They tell me it ages me. But, I am old. I’m proud of it. It certainly beats the alternative. Something happens in our forties. We work hard to be respected and taken seriously, and then fifty comes along and we’re ashamed to show our age? Not I!!!

About a month ago, I was chatting with a dance sister at Starbucks. A man interrupted our conversation to say that when he saw me he wanted to tell me how beautiful I was. Whoa, awkward moment! Yet, it’s those moments that make me smile, knowing that it’s okay to show your roots and be who you are.