08 May 2008

Mid-life crisis

It's the beginning of the end

I'm beginning to get some grey hair. Well, that's not the exact truth. I'm far beyond beginning. Having kids, that's what did it to me. I'm glad I saved a cutting of my hair in it's glory days for my children before all this grey happened.

My aunts all have a cutting of my grandmother's hair. It's absolutely gorgeous, a deep auburn brown. I only ever remember my grandmother with grey hair all pulled up behind her head, but when I look in the envelope that holds her hair, it makes me remember how vibrant she was. Hopefully, the cutting I saved will bring back fond memories for my kids and they can remember me before I was all decrepit.

I used to be blond. Very blond, almost white. Then some weird genetics kicked in and I'm now dark brown with tones of red. Oh, and then there's the grey.

The mid-life crisis started two nights ago when we took the kids out for ice cream. As I was leaving the store with my daughter, a nice young gent held the door for us. I graciously thanked him and smiled my harried mom smile.

The next thing I know, the kid (yes, anyone of his generation is now a kid in my eyes!) is commenting on my sweat shirt. A University of St. Thomas sweat shirt. But, he doesn't ask me if I went there. No, no, no. He asks me if I have a kid going to St. Thomas. WHAT?!!! He thinks I'm old enough to have a kid in college? How old does he think I am?

Did I mention I also have wrinkles?

7 comments:

ArchAngel's Advocate said...

I'm proud of my grey hairs. I've earned every one of them :P

Vincenzo said...

"I used to be blond. Very blond, almost white. Then some weird genetics kicked in and I'm now dark brown with tones of red."

That happened to me too.

gemoftheocean said...

SM: It's a genetic thing in my family too. Most start out quite blond and it gets darker as we get older.

The trick is (are all the men gone?) that if you're going to dye your hair, dye it before you get too much gray and it's not obvious you've dyed it yet. Hush now. ;-D

(try a color you like on a hair clipping first - Clairol G8 works for moi. It's pretty close to the color I naturally had when I was college age and early 20s.)

swissmiss said...

Well, truth be told, I am old enough to have a kid in college...I think THAT's really the rub :) Hard to believe though, when I'm hauling around two under the age of five.

Karen: I used to dye my hair back in high school, for a time. Too much work for me. Although, as my hair gets more and more grey, I might be tempted.

Mairin :o) said...

SW,
those aren't grey hairs, they're the ultimate highlights! Besides, the transition from dyed hair to natural would be a horrible shock. Unless you are going to be one of those old ladies with the oh-so-natural looking jet black (or brown or red) hair?

I kinda like my 'highlights'.

Anonymous said...

You're not getting old-you're meerly maturing and becoming wiser. Well, that's what I tell my lot.
Hehehe

Kit said...

Start out with the foil highlights - that's what I did, but now I have to get the whole head colored every few months and THEN the highlights added on top of it. May have to start selling plasma soon.