OMG, you’re gray!?!? Thanks, I hadn’t noticed …

I recently saw an old friend, someone from school that I hadn’t seen in years. The first words out of her mouth were “Oh my God, your hair! Is that gray?” I think to myself, “Thank you, as if I hadn’t noticed it myself.” *laughs*

I found my first gray hair at 16. My hair color in school was usually a light auburn — I spent a lot of time playing sports and being outside around my parents pool during the summer. After college, I landed a job with a company as a programmer. This position allowed me the luxury of being eccentric, so I dyed my hair all kinds of colors. However, the last 2 jobs I’ve held do not allow for that sort of thing, and I’ve had to keep a mostly “normal” appearance — so I dye my hair a color pretty close to what it was growing up: an auburn red or reddish brown. BUT, as all dyes will, it grows out within weeks — especially on my hair. My hair and nails have always grown quickly.

Now, my gray had never bothered me until recent years … but thinking back, I often switched hair colors on a whim, so I probably never really saw it until the last couple of years or so. And I’m not sure why it bothers me that I have gray hair. I look at it and think “This makes me old!”

It could also have something to do with the fact that I’ll be 29 this year. One more year until the “Big Three-Oh.” This is my last year of “Twenty-Something.” Maybe that’s what I’ve been lamenting — I dunno … Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking already “Big deal, you’re still young” … and I will most likely say the same to someone else when they are on the 3-0 approach.

I remember looking back at 25 thinking to myself, “Wow … 25 years. That’s a quarter of a century, but I don’t feel that old.”

It’s funny what a difference of 5 years can make.