Tag Archives: grey

  • 27
    Feb 15
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Eight months, no color - June 26, 2014

Going Silver: Eight Months and No Color

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It is really fun to look back  through my photos and see the stages of going silver. This is my eighth month with no color and in these pictures it is still difficult to tell I’m going silver. Of course, these shots were taken with a camera phone and have been seriously cropped, but I think they are a good representation of me enjoying my life and going silver at the same time!

Eight months, no color – June 26, 2014
Eight months, no color – June 26, 2014
Eight months, no color – June 26, 2014

A dear friend of mine from high school is aware of my journey down Silver Linings Lane due to my Facebook posts. This week, she shared with me an article titled, “Gray hair becoming hallmark of coolness“. Well, how cool is that?! In the article, Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton who has beautiful, long gray hair said, “Attitude and presence have a lot more to do with someone thinking that you are older than you are.” Now, isn’t that the truth!? How refreshing. And, I think she looks fabulous. Check her out:

Councilwoman Helen Holton ... Love her hair!

Councilwoman Helen Holton … Love her hair!

Now that I am determined to “go silver” … I find myself striking up conversations with random women who have silver sparkles and I absolutely love the stories they freely share. Today, a woman I met told me about her ‘aha’ moment.  She was closing in on the BIG 5 0 and had been coloring her hair for years. Her silver was so prominent that she had to color her roots every 2 weeks. She was growing weary of the process and demands on her time. One day, while coloring her hair at home some of the dye hit the wall in her bathroom and she couldn’t get the stain out. That was it. Her ‘aha’ moment. She hasn’t colored since and feels so liberated. I just love hearing these impromptu stories. These women are so inspiring to me. I’m so glad I’ve ventured down Silver Linings Lane. And, for those of you who are on the fence … this saying by Robyn O’Brien below might help …

Love this ... and, am living it!

Love this … and, am living it!

 

  • 20
    Feb 15
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Glenda Going Silver

Going Silver: Seven Months and No Color

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So, here I am … seven months into my journey on Silver Linings Lane. Sadly, I did not take many pictures this month. This was a stressful time and it shows on my face, but I think my hair looks great! 🙂 Interestingly, in the pictures below you have to look really, really close to see the silver. Again, this whole notion that hair color is such a big deal is simply not true. We make it a big deal by comparing ourselves to others instead of loving ourselves – THE WAY WE ARE! I do not recall one person noticing my gradual switch to silver. I, on the other hand, as a social experiment asked friends, family, and colleagues how my hair looked and I got the same reply, “It’s not gray, it’s blonde!” What a hoot.

Seven months, no color – May 7, 2014
Seven months, no color – May 7, 2014
Seven months, no color – May 11, 2014

So, for all you women (and men) out there who are fretting about being in your natural state or finding your way back … lighten up (and I don’t mean more highlights … ha ha). Seriously, stop taking yourself SOOOO SERIOUSLY! Enjoy your life, enjoy the moment. Stop worrying about how you look, what people think, and live in the moment! If you do, you will find that you are more than a hair color, or a certain style. Take off the mask and show the world … who you really are underneath the facade. It’s liberating and a little scary, but worth it!

For years I heard my grandmother berate my mother for her hairstyle. My mother’s hair was either too short or too long. In my grandmother’s eyes, it was never good enough. What nonsense. It hurt my mother’s feelings and now that I am older and wiser, I see that my grandmother was insecure and taking it out on my mother. How insensitive. I love my grandmother, but this was a huge lesson for me. And might be why I am so determined to go silver and keep my long hair. I am not about to let other people hurt me because they are living in fear and insecure. Life’s too short. Do your own thing! You will always have critics and most of them will be the ones closest to you. But, you can rise above it. This is your journey, not theirs.

  • 13
    Dec 14
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Mom and Glenda (2011)

Going Silver: How Mom Motivated Me

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In my first post on going silver, I mentioned that I did not come to this realization on my own. That I was inspired by people like Cindy Joseph (Boom by Cindy Joseph). Cindy made me start thinking and reflecting on how gracefully my Mother went from red hair to almost a blondish look and now silver. Interestingly, when Mom and I are out-and-about, people who do not know us would ask if we are sisters. I know, it isn’t exactly a compliment for how I am handling the aging phase, but it is a huge compliment for my Mother. And, she’s done this without coloring her hair, by staying true to who she is, by not hiding from reality. Check out the picture of us above – it was taken the summer of 2011. Please note, that I have only high/low lighted my hair, so I’ve always let the silver shine a bit. I did that purposely and honestly, I think gray roots are nasty looking, so I never wanted to be in the position of having to worry about a solid line of them. Enough about that, doesn’t my Mom look great?!

Here’s the progression for my Mom starting with her 50th bday in 1993:

Mom's 50th Bday (1993)

Mom’s 50th Bday (1993)

This picture shows how red her hair really was:

Mom's 50th Bday

Mom’s 50th Bday

And, this picture was taken ten years later:

Mom and Glenda (Nov 2003)

Mom and Glenda (Nov 2003)\

I find it fascinating to look back and see the shades of grey as both my Mom and I have aged and I hope you do, too! We need to celebrate aging … just think about how many people would jump out of their graves if they had the chance to live longer. Just sayin’!

Interestingly, my Mom has had hairdressers tell her – DO NOT COLOR YOUR HAIR. There are women who PAY to get the color you have right now. Hm. That really made me pause and think. Also, as we age, our skin color changes along with our hair and I really think it looks better when the two match or compliment each other. Of course, that’s my opinion. But, think about that when you see someone who is older and colors their hair. Really study their face and how the hair frames it. Is it harsh? Does it look natural? Once I started looking at silver hair with a new perspective, I started realizing that I wanted to try it. And now I’m a year into my new look. I will start sharing some photos of that conversion process in my next few posts. Stay tuned! 🙂

Mom and I … see why she’s my inspiration! (2011)
My Mom and I…she’s my inspiration! (Nov 2003)
Mom’s 50th Bday … her natural hair color! (1993)
Mom’s 50th Bday … her natural hair color (1993)
  • 28
    Nov 14
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Going Silver: Highlight, Lowlight, Nolight

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This picture was taken on November 5, 2013. I had high-and-low-lighted my hair on October 1st. If you look close, you can see silver strands peaking out here and there. Most people just thought it was blonde, but I knew the truth! There seemed to be more silver than blonde those days.

IMG_2820 - Version 2

The woman who used to do my high-and-lowlights was excellent when it came to her trade and she did a great job with my hair. So, you can imagine her surprise when I went in six months later for a trim ONLY and explained my intention to go natural – to let the silver shine! She warned that sooner than later, I’d be back in her chair.

Well, it’s been a year without any high-and-lowlights. Granted, there are days when I think, “Who the hell is that?” But, more often than not, I look in the mirror and think, “Wow, you look awesome!” Yes, the good days definitely outweigh the bad. And, that is what made me think that I should share my thoughts along the way. To encourage others to try it. To buck the trend or the social norms that encourage us to cover up who we really are and to not accept aging. It’s about time we recognize aging for what it is – a gift from God, the Universe, our Higher Power! So, join me as I share pictures and thoughts as I gracefully grow into gray, I mean silver.

By the way, I did not come to this revelation on my own. Cindy Joseph of Boom by Cindy Joseph inspired me with her Pro-Age Revolution. I encourage you to follow Cindy Joseph and prepare to be enlightened, here’s a glimpse of what you’ll get:

To that end, I hope you enjoy my pictorial story and written ramblings along the way. Please feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, and encouragement. I think it is vital to seek support when bucking trends! Further, a supportive community that makes their voices heard may inspire others to go silver. Let’s be trendsetters. What is it Cindy says? Silver is the new blonde. Love it! Let’s join the Pro-Age Revolution and live a life built on truth and look for silver linings!

SPECIAL NOTE: The title of my blog post was inspired by a dear friend, Tes Neal. Thank you for the inspiration, Tes!

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