1-2-2105- Well I’ve committed to the journey of growing out
my greys and celebrating ME! Now this is a revolutionary concept for me. I have
been hiding my greys since 19 yrs old & I’m about to turn 52! I was as
committed to hiding them as I was to keeping my hair long & dark. I still
refuse to go short, or even medium length. It is waist to bum length all the
way baby!
I have put in days of research in preparation for the
journey back to me. I’ve got supplies of other women’s stories and pics to
sustain me along my trip. I’ve packed info and links to stockists for silver
hair care products. I’ve planned my route via hair length, hair cut style &
co ordinates of 1 inch hair growth= 2 months.
I have just measured my hair from my 1 inch skunk stripe
edge to tip. It is 2 ½ ft or 30 inches. (approx 90cm for my metric sisters). It
sits atop my butt at present. My strategy is to get 2, I say 2, full inches
lopped off this month. A never before act seen. Thereby leaving 28 inches of dark hair. Now if
I continue to trim an inch every 2 months I can retain my length and reduce my
dyed hair 6 inches a year. So in theory I’ll be totally natural & long
haired in 4 ½ years. This is a mega trek ladies. No fluffing around nicely
paved, park walkways. No power walk along sandy seashores. No, not for this
rebellious nanna, it’s a jump in boots and all, long haul, back pack laden,
huffing & puffing trek up the white peaked(appropriate) Kathmandu mountain.
Ah but the view...
My hair has always been my defining description. “the chick
with the long hair”, “Morticia”, “I love your long hair” etc. My ex hubby would
love to sit and brush it. I have even trained very pushy hairdressers to not
trim too much off it EVER. When I told my 30yr old daughter yesterday about my
expedition to find silver, the first comment she had was “are you going to cut
it?” Her world continued to turn when I exclaimed “no way!” In fact those whose
opinions matter have just given me bemused smiles. I think they are used to my eclectic
approach to fashion and appearance (not to mention other things in my life), so
have just added this to “Linda’s way out & weird interpretation of life.”
Although I did appreciate the comment from a male family member who, after a
few minutes of just staring with a strange look on his face and a mouth twitch,
finally spoke, saying “well we all change how we look eventually.” His sage
words were quickly followed by “but you’re not going o cut it though are you? I
don’t think short hair would suit you.” My reply kept his world turning also.
So from once hating the dreaded silver streak regrowth, I’m
getting quite excited and already impatient to see my shade of grey. I want to
see how my skin & eyes look framed by my REAL colour. From trying to hide
it, I now want to keep looking at the progress from all angles. I am willing it
to grow, grow GROW!! I have figured that with short layers to frame my face and
a long layer cut at the back, the front silver face frame may be in place in
time for my daughter’s wedding next Feb 2016. The long back portion could be
tethered into a loose uplift.
I am really encouraged by other women’s experiences of
softer and better conditioned hair. Of course I’ll now have more money to spend
on quality products and salon cuts & conditioning treatments, to rock my
silver locks! But my qualms over wiry and unruly steel wool sprouting from my
scalp have been assuaged. Makes sense to me that natural, as opposed to regular
chemicals on my noggin, would feel & look healthier. ( aided & abetted
by organic enhancers.)
I refuse to kowtow to society’s mantra of grey hair is
better short, or grey hair makes you look old and washed out. Man some of the
pics I have of long, silver haired women are stunning. We’re not talking the
young & gorgeous maiden & mothers here, but women of the crone calibre.
There is much talk amongst the silver sub subculture as to
the tone of our individual grey. Even the descriptions sound sophisticated,
cultured and refined. Pewter, steel, ice white & silver. It seems nobody
wants to have grungy grey. It’s like a personal status symbol because it’s all
natural grow your own. Therein lies my excitement. It truly is my unique
colour. I am already liking the colour I’m seeing. I’m lucky in that I can wear
my hair straight without too much taming or leave it to dry long and curly
scrunched. Oh the images of sexy untamed earth mother, feminine silver sleek
goddess, a permanent halo of light reflection to soften the lens focus...but I
digress. This is HUGE ladies. It is longer than the pregnancies of my 3
children combined! I have trouble committing to what I’ll cook for dinner...at
lunch time!
I have been transitioning into this crone phase of life for
the past few years. “Transitioning” is also what us grow your own grey converts
call the between phase of “ditch the dye” & “silver lock rockin”. It just
feels a natural transition for me, first divorce, then menopause, new home, new
location, no more kids at home, new life, and unstereotypical image...free to
be me! So honey I’m gonna let it all hang down. Hey I’m a child of the 60s,
I’ve lived up near Nimbin (my youngest still does), peace, love & mung
beans baby. Power to the(pewter) people. So I’ll be rockin those silver locks
& fighting the establishment, oh yeah. Although I’ll stop short of becoming a silver hairy,
ganja faerie (good ole Rainbow region/ Nimbin...what a trip...)
I’ll update in a month. Meanwhile here are some pics I’ve
called my Inspiration, Aspiration & Determination. As well as just some of
me called.....Feb.
