The Older I Get, The Less Afraid I Become Of Aging

I’m moving toward acceptance when it comes to growing older and seeing those first grey hairs.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

I remember when my hairdresser found my first set of grey hairs. They’d been sitting quietly at the back of my head, waiting for someone to politely acknowledge them.

I was about 28 and surprised that I was already showing greys. I’m still only in my twenties, I thought. Rather than seeing it as a natural process of aging, I saw it as a stark reminder that I was only getting ‘older’. I never saw 30 as ‘old’ until the younger twenty-somethings I used to work with saw it that way. I decided that if I were to turn completely grey, I’d dye my hair to cover it.

Most of the women around me — mothers, aunts, co-workers — colored their hair for the same reason. So following this cultural standard seemed instinctual. After all, everyone around me viewed grey hair as something to hide. Something to cover with shades of red, blonde and brown.

I also liked imagining what I’d look like in a lighter shade of blonde — or a rich auburn. Trying on different hair colors seemed akin to trying on new outfits or personality traits. On the other hand, I’d experimented with cool blonde highlights on my dark blonde hair before…and it wasn’t the most…