Another Benefit: Going Silver Saves Time
Yes, you read that right … going silver can save you time! Think about it. How many hours have you spent sitting in a salon chair lost in foils, soaking in smelly chemicals, and making small talk? I was lucky (and inconsistent), I went for high-and-low-lights every 3-5 months. I know, according to social norms, I should have been in the salon sooner, but carving out 2 1/2 hours for color and a cut was not easy. It was especially difficult when pursuing my mid-life masters. Now that I’m finished with grad school, I have a long list of things I want to do. And, I’m not going to get them done while soaking in chemicals!
In my last post, I mentioned an article by Ellen Miller that quoted Anne Kreamer, author of “Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Matters”. Interestingly, while conducting research for her book, Anne learned that, “women spent more time getting their hair dyed than they did having sex.” Seriously?! I’m sure part of the reason women feel pressured to retain their youthful looks is to keep the spark alive with their partners. Yet, it seems something isn’t working here … at least for the people who Anne interviewed for her research.
So, why exactly are we dying our hair? Why are we convinced that we aren’t good enough just the way we are? And, why is growing old a negative thing? I’m so over it. I’m weary of advertisers trying to convince me that I need to be something I’m not, or trying to pressure me to hold onto something that has already passed (like my youth). My goodness, it’s time to rewrite the script. I don’t want to be one of those women spending more time getting my hair done versus investing my time making wonderful memories and doing enjoyable things!
In order to accomplish this, I have looked to other women who are on the silver path and in the process found an awesome group on Facebook – Going Gray Gracefully. It is so empowering to see the pictures and to read the posts. Others feel the same and that is why I am blogging about this. It helps me air my thoughts, work through my issues, and I hope to inspire others along the way. And, I want to leave a visual trail … pictures tell the story.
In closing, the pictures below are from February 2014 … four months into my journey down Silver Linings Lane. If you are thinking about going silver, what would you do with the time you saved from not coloring? I’m working on video editing projects and trying some new functional training sessions – just to name a few. I would love to hear what you are doing (in the comments section below)! Wishing you the best! 🙂
