Spin Cycle: Appearances

This week's Spin Cycle is all about appearance.  I'm going with hair.  

Once upon a time, my hair was black.  Not brown.. black.  Then, at about 16 years of age, I saw.... a white hair!  What's this???  White hair (not gray, mind you, WHITE!)  This can't be!!  I'm too young to turn into my mother!  But, sadly, it was true.  Little by little, over the years, the white hairs replaced the black ones.

When I was 34, we had just moved to the house I'm in now and we decided that I'd go back to work part-time as a hair dresser.  I landed a job with no trouble.  All of the other stylists were 20, 21... young, hip chicks.  They wanted to know if the boss (at the ripe old age of 24) was going to hire "the older woman".

While I worked there, I let one of the girls color my hair and get rid of those pesky white ones.  Then, 2 months into my new job, I got pregnant.  Those girls were HORRIFIED that a woman of my great age was still having sex (GASP!!!), and got pregnant!!!! **I saw one of those 21 year old girls a couple of years ago... she was in her 40s by then.  I told her the story and she laughed her ass off!

 Sea Isle city, NJ  July 1991

Gina, 6, Dani 7 months, Me, 35 and Tim 3

See how OLD and decrepit I am!

I colored my hair on my own for years after that, until I had knee surgery and couldn't kneel in the bath tub to wash it out.  So I let the color grow out again.  And there was quite a bit more white hair!!!  

 Me, 46, Gina 17, Dani 12

Gina's High School Graduation

June 2002

I had that natural hair until 2003, when I needed to find a job because we closed our restaurant.  It wasn't like I was trying to look younger.  I didn't want to look older!  So I started coloring it again, and landed the job at TGI Fridays. 

Sometime in 2009

Ashley and me (and Melissa's back) at TGI Fridays

 

When the economy took a turn I had to make some changes... concessions, if you will.  Some of those concessions were no more massages, and no more letting the hair stylist color and highlight my hair.  So I started to do it at home again.   Every time I would get ready to color my hair, I'd wonder what my natural hair looked like now.  Was it all white?  How much of my beautiful black hair was left? 

Finally about 6 months ago, I made the decision to stop coloring it again and see what I had.  Because I wear my hair short,  it only took about 3 or 4 haircuts to get rid of the brown colored hair.  John and I would joke that we could get Senior rates at the movie theater now!   I discovered that quite a bit of my hair was white now and I had a black streak or two running through it.

 Me, 54 at mini class reunion

a few months ago

One day, about 6 weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and wondered who was that old woman staring back at me???  I quickly called my stylist and yelled UNCLE!! and she squeezed me in before I could change my mind.  (she's no dummy.. higher check average, bigger tip) 

 at a get together a few weeks ago

Patty, Margie, Me and Denise

So, now I'm back to having darkish brown hair and some blonde highlights in the front.  My stylist says I look 15 years younger, and I feel a whole lot better about myself!

Now, go visit Jen at Sprite's Keeper and see who else posted an old-time favorite!  You can join in and post one of yours as well!