Thursday, March 5, 2015

The Wearin' O' The Grey

I haven't made a blog entry since the Christmas holidays.  Life has been pretty busy - I was ill the 1st two weeks of the new year and my scope of responsibility has increased at work.  Here in NE PA, we've had non-stop snow events; I don't think I've worked a single Monday in my office because of our weekly Sunday-into-Monday snowstorms.

Today's blog entry is inspired partly by a post over at Debbie-Dabble, but more so by what I think was a very rude comment on her post.  You see, Debbie had the temerity to "go gray" and post about it.  One reader couldn't quite wrap her brain cells around this fact and wrote that "you can look ten years younger blonde".

Alrighty then.  We'll skip the part where I throw a 1942 edition of Emily Post's "Etiquette" in the general direction of this "lady", and get to the hair stuff.

My original hair color was an auburn reddish-brown.  

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

In the Florida summers (I grew up in Jacksonville), it would get gold and bronze highlights.

"...beach baby, beach baby here in the sand - from July to the end of September..."

Senior prom - 1979

high school graduation photo - 1979





Around the time I turned 25, I started going gray.  It started with a "Lily Munster" streak on my right temple and I wasn't going to let it get any further.  L'Oreal's "Extra Light Beige Blonde" was my friend for 20 years.

circa 2003


After a traumatic period in my life finally ended in 2008, I wanted to simplify - simplify everything.  When I had to downsize my life, I also had to downsize a lot of other things.  I had a very carefree, financially secure life that suddenly didn't exist any longer.  I had to take stock of the things and decide was was a want and what was a need.

Long tired of the expense and time involved in keeping my hair blonde, I decided that coloring my hair was a want, and would be the first thing I'd simplify.  I stopped coloring it. It took about a year to grow out and I will state right here it was an awful year.  What was once a pale lovely blonde looked brassy and fake against the new hair that was growing in.

Was it worth the wait?  You bet it was.  I drew the lucky card - I have a head full of healthy, beautiful silvery white hair.

(My apologies for the "selfies".  When you live alone...yadda yadda yadda...

men love that librarian look ;)

leopard is my favorite color!

It's hard to take a selfie and remember to smile  :D

with my favorite singer - Nick Lowe


off to see Lyle Lovett last summer




And the kicker is that if it were still blonde, I'd still look like I was 53 (54 in June).  I'd look like a 53 year old woman who colors her hair.  Now, I look like a 53 year old woman who simply doesn't color her hair.

If you color your hair because it makes you feel better - I think that's great, because feeling better is what it's all about.  If you don't color your hair because it makes you feel better, I think that's pretty damned great, too.  I'm not against enhancing our beauty - but that's just it.  Our beauty is our beauty - not yours.  As a women, we should understand and embrace this in our "sisters".

What's not great is women not being supportive of other women.  My mother (and all her gray hair, God bless her) was of an upbringing and generation where if you couldn't say anything nice, you didn't say anything at all.  If a woman chooses to change or stop changing something about her appearance, that's her business.  It seems that women are expected to be beautiful until the grave, yet no matter how they try to achieve their own personal beauty, they're condemned for it, and sadly, by their own sex.  So stop that merde - be supportive or move on.

By the way - here's a photo of one of my biggest fashion idols - the legendary model Carmen Dell'Orifice.  She's 83 and still on the runways.  Has she had work done?  Absolutely - as she says "if your living room ceiling is falling down, wouldn't you fix it?".  It's her hair that is insanely gorgeous and I would love to be around if anyone ever said to her "Hey - Carmen...you could look 10 years younger blonde" ;)


I'm linking up at:









10 comments:

  1. PAMELA!!!!!

    OMG!!! Thanks so much for the support!! I LOVE how you look in your natural hair!! You look stunning, Girl!!! Great pics!! And a funny thing is that I have always admired Carmen!! AND her Hair!!!!!

    Thanks for coming to my defense over that one comment but i think I handled her in my response!! And it is her opinion and she is welcome to it but I was taught as you were, if you can not say anything nice, than be quiet!! LOL!!

    We have to get together once this weather breaks...
    This Winter is killing Joe.......

    I will be sharing your post on Google + and in my next post and on Face book!!

    Thanks so much!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

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  2. WOW loved this! I am familiar with Debbie' s blog and what a great support post! :)

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  3. I love that you've embraced grey! I think if you have a fresh hair style, it doesn't matter what color it is. You look gorgeous!

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  4. I, too, choose to embrace my grey hair. In fact, I love it, and haven't missed spending nearly $100/month to have it colored!!! Everyone has an opinion, and that is mine!! Thanks for addressing this!

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  5. with all those amazing stages of life I must say that you have had long time to wear the gray. I have had gray in my hair since I was a young mother and now simply have never colored my hair but allow the gray to shine through
    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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  6. Great article, your hair looks gorgeous! I'm 49 just started getting the greys 2 years ago, but not all over enough to stop coloring yet. I hair color my hair myself using a box of Revlon & have become a pro of it dying mine & other family members. I look forward to the day I can just let it grow out and not color, feel free of it all. You are inspiring, thank-you!!

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  7. Your hair looks soft (the way hair is supposed to look), flattering and lovely! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Wow, you look great in your natural color. I have seen that grey is the new hot hair color and many of the young people are dying their hair grey....Really...So, there you have it you are totally on trend and in style

    Carol

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  9. You look stunning! Great pics! Looking great in your natural color. Thanks for sharing!

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