Thursday, August 13, 2009

Shades of Grey

I've said since the age of 22, that I would kill for the chance to go grey - as it seemed I would have zero hair by the time greying would naturally occur.

Yes, I am follically challenged, and I'm ok with it. More than ok, actually. I can't imagine having to deal with hair, and product and getting it dry and looking "just right". It is quite liberating.

Now that I turn 46 today (or really, starting my 47th year), I no longer have to worry about not going grey. I am indeed going grey, for what hair I have that is left over. Yay me. Seriously.

I have more than a little grey in my goatee and in my sideburns. I do not let what hair I have left on the dome get long enough to really show the grey, but in the right light, that schnauzer cut shimmers in silver from just the right angle.

But there are two grey hairs that seemingly bother me - and they are my oldest two. They reside in my right eyebrow and have been there for years. They are a metaphor for my current life.

I will admit to plucking these two buggers. They grow wild and are a different texture than any other hair I have. And even with the tweezer action, they come back. They are a sign that I never really am able to hide from age.

The irony is, of course, I never thought I'd live this long. I've covered this in all my birthday posts over the last six years, I believe. Yet here I am - 46 (or 47) and with grey hair.

Up until a year or two ago, even I would have said I did not think I looked my age. People would continually assume I was in my late 30s, which was great, I guess. I chalk it up to never smoking and not being in the sun for any long periods of time.

Unfortunately, lately I feel as if I look every day of my age. The gym takes care of certain things, but the eyes tell all - and not the glacially greying eyebrows. Just the sag of the skin under the eyes. Granted, much of this is probably helped by a (un)healthy case of insomnia

That all being said, I was at a training session the other day when during a break, the instructor was playing Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll". Now, this song - whether you like the group or not - transcends just one period in time. But some woman in the group said to me, "oh you probably aren't even old enough to know this song!".

It's one of those fine lines: I should be happy she doesn't think I'm old enough for this song, while in reality I was very much aware of it when it was originally released. On the other hand, I'm like 'what the hell?'. I guess there is no pleasing me. News Flash!

So yes, I'm balder, greyer and older today. But I guess that is true of every day.



Song by: the Monkees

6 comments:

Larry Ohio said...

Happy Birthday Blobby! Hope you have a wonderful day and a great year.

rebecca said...

Well that is just a crazy thing to say.

I am grateful every day that you are on this planet. And looking older than me. Tee hee.

David G said...

I love the fact that some of your posts now classify under the label "Me." Isn't it all about you?

So I'm here to remind you that could be much worse - I just got my first grey ear hair. Quite traumatic....

Happy Birthday Blobby - Thanks to me, you still are and always will be the young pretty one!

anne marie in philly said...

happy happy birthday, blobby!! and many many more too!!

I have been gray since my mid-20s; hair dye covers a multitude of sins! with the color coming from a box, I can be the fabu redhead I was born to be!

I get mistaken for my late 30s - early 40s all the time...and I lerve it! I will be 55 in 3 weeks and I live to kick some ass each day!

Birdie said...

I don't want to hear it, fortiesboy. You look awesome, especially those dramatic eyebrows.

Women always talk about the changes aging bring. But no one told me I'd be getting guybrows. Ugh. Other than that, I'm too busy having fun to worry about getting older.

Have fun, sweetie, and happy birthday!

tornwordo said...

It's a cruel joke. Why can't we lose our facial hair when we get older. I wouldn't miss shaving, that's for sure.

Happy happy! Hope it was swell.