Of Little Interest to the Guys Here

[journey11]

My mother thought it was a disgrace for a woman over 30 to have long hair. I never understood that.

My favorite t shirt says My Hair Is This Color Because I Ate Paint Chips As A Child.

Probably more to do with the style of that time, a sign of womanhood and maturity. This is a pic of my grandmother (age 23) and my mom (age 2) in 1958. I wish I could have looked so well put together at that tender age!

 

[ninnymary]

Journey, what a great picture to have. I love red hair!

Mary

 

[journey11]

I am so surprised that neither of my girls had red hair. My mom and all 3 of her siblings were redheads!

 

[thistlebloom]

What is this talk of a cut off age for long hair? I didn't know there were rules for this stuff!
I'm 58, about Journeys moms age and I don't feel "old"...
I'm with Bay, I'm gonna let my hair grow till I can sit on it.
Of course I will have to live to 114 for that to actually happen since my hair grows at a glacial pace.

I quit getting it cut by "professionals" about 4 years ago because no matter how clearly I said I wanted it to grow, it was always cut just above my shoulders. Dh trims the tips for me every few months, and I go to a salon just once or twice a year now for a 1" trim. I do my own bangs and highlights.
It's down to my shoulder blades now and I usually wear it in a French braid or a pony, but when I'm not working will wear it in a half back.
Nothing fancy ever.
I never "dress up" these days, and would likely have an anxiety attack if I had to. It's shorts and tanks in summertime and jeans and flannels for the rest of the year. Makeup is mascara and tinted lip gloss.

I have always wanted long hair ever since I could remember. My big sis and I always walked to school together and she would walk along, swinging that butt length braid while I followed, shuffling along with my short tow head fuzz. I've even had hair dreams.

Now that I think about old ladies in long hair, my tiny little German great grandma had waist length hair that I only saw down once when she stayed with us. The rest of the time she wore it in a long braid wrapped around her head.

@Carol Dee , have you ever taken turmeric? I find it helps with helping my hair fill out, and it doesn't shed so much. Find one that contains pepperine for best absorption.

 

[Beekissed]

Six of my siblings had red hair, two were brunette and there was one blonde...me...who slowly turned medium brown with age. Now that brown has silver all through it, so it sort of looks like pewter. Got that hair type and color from my paternal grandma...the only grandchild she had that got it. She used to wear her hair long and braided, wrapped around her head in a crown, when I was younger but cut it all off when she got into her 70s and got a perm....I remember crying as the long, beautiful hair fell to the floor of her porch. Could never understand how she thought short hair was going to be less fuss and work.

My hair style has stayed pretty much the same since high school as my hair is fine, curly/wavy and just gets very big instead of longer...especially if I let the layers grow out. Must have layers to thin it out and make it lay right. At its longest it reaches right at the bra strap~sorry guys...you were warned to look away~and when it's cut it is mid shoulder blade. When I was in grade school it was down to my waist. It is now worn in long layers that can be gathered in a pony tail or clip...or worn loose and wavy/curly.

I started going grey in my mid-30s and started coloring it then, just lighter blonde/brown highlights and such to blend in the occasional grey hairs. In my 40s the grey showed up to be noticed and I had a problem...grey roots, color roots, real hair...constant maintenance to keep up with that mess. My hair was looking too brassy and felt like straw, not healthy at all. I asked the boys if I could go grey but they were reluctant...said I was too young to go grey. A few years later I asked again and they finally said go ahead...so I started using a wash out rinse that blended the grey until my natural hair color could be revealed.

You would not believe how much anger my going grey provoked in my sisters, my friends from high school and my co-workers...all the same age or older than I and all still coloring for all they were worth. That amazed me...why in the world would they care so much? Then it dawned on me...I broke ranks. I decided to show my true age and they were afraid everyone would know they were old too.

I LOVED the silver!!! I still can't wait until it all goes silver but I doubt I'll be one of those silver/white ladies..I could only wish. I love how it sparkles in the sun and in lamp light. I love how healthy my hair is now that I don't color it...not one split end can I find and it's shiny, soft, strong.

I don't think it ages me at all, as I have an olive skin tone that tans easily and my fat fills in my wrinkles. At 49 I think I look exactly 49, which is right and proper. I've lived every single year to the fullest and I think I should LOOK the part. My kids don't think I look that old...after teasing me mercilessly when I started to let it go grey, they have come to admit they think it's much prettier this way. Could have knocked me over with a feather.

One of my high school friends(?) saw me for the first time in 8 yrs and the first thing she blurted out was, "Did they run out of boxed color down at Walmart?". I slowly looked at her hair, smiled sweetly and said, "Apparently not." Apparently grey hair allows one to be blunt and honest...who knew?

I love being allowed to be old. I don't like BEING old, as quite often it hurts, but being allowed to look and act my age is heavenly! Haven't had that much freedom since I was a child.

Yep...I've always been a bit vain about my hair and still am at times, though most of my vanity has flown out the window as I have aged. I'll be glad when it has all departed.

 

[thistlebloom]

Bee, you're 49! That is NOT old! In my head I'm still 25, but hopefully have matured to what ever 58 should be. My surrogate "grandkids' tell me all the time I'm not old and I believe them. Maybe when I'm 80ish I'll concede to feeling older, if all my body parts last that long.

 

[Beekissed]

I must admit, I feel much older than I am...boogered up my spine at work and with auto accidents, so I hurt more than I should at this age. It ticks me off royal because I like staying active and I like working and this stuff makes me weak and decrepit. I still move and groove but I went from tossing around 100 # feed sacks down to 50# and then sitting on ice the next day. I'm OLD folks.

My 81 yr old Ma gets around better than I do...if you think that ain't demoralizing, it IS.

Still young at heart, though!

 

[Carol Dee]

@thistlebloom I take turmeric for joints. (Not sure it helped that either.)
@journey11 I am your Mothers age! Right there with Thistle
My husbands Grandmother had the very long hair braided and worn wrapped around her head. I do not think mine would ever grow long enough.
@Beekissed I understand the hurting part all too well. For me it is feet. Ugh. Other than that I still feel pretty darn young. And vanity is flying quickly. Being unable to wear makeup actually was freeing in a way.

 

[Nyboy]

Red headed woman are always hot !! Long hair looks great on older woman, pigtails now thats another story!! My grandmother must have been part vampire, she never went in the sun or aged. No one would believe she was my grandmom, she always looked at least 20 years younger. She dyed her hair deep red, as she got older the red started getting pinker and pinker. It wasn't till she had a major stroke at 95 , and had to go into a nursing home that she had grey hair.

 

[so lucky]

Bee, I agree that being allowed to age is very liberating. I have found that being an "old lady" gives me an anonymity that is empowering. I can go about my business without worrying what others think of me. Certainly not getting attention from men anymore, but that grows less important with time, thankfully.
One of my favorite books is written by an old lady who encourages older people to remember that our "job" as seniors is to teach the younger generations, guide them with the wisdom we have gained, and tell the story of our family so it can be remembered by future generations.
That's something I need to work at, because in this age of texts and facebook, the important generational connections are being left by the wayside.
So don't be surprised if you see me in my pony-tailed grey hair and no make-up, on a soapbox somewhere, preaching to the crowd.....and being ignored.......