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No...I'm not a terrible speller...just stick with me! So, about a year ago I decided that I was tired of spending HUGE amounts of time and money at the beauty salon. I was willing to spend the money on a great haircut, but decided surely I could do the color myself. Of course my stylist was horrified when I even mentioned that I would no longer consult a professional in this area of my life.
With vivid detail I learned about color gone wrong, hair falling out, bright unnatural bronze hues that would be impossible for me to correct. It apparently was a completely scientific process that would leave me emotionally crippled for life if I even pondered the idea. Call me crazy...call me bold...call me a rebel...but I had to give it a try. I decided not only to go for all over color, but to also do the highlights myself. This really left my friends with their mouths hanging open.
I called my friend Lynn for support as I entered Longs Drugs as a complete color virgin. I told her the bronzy-red horror story, and with words of wisdom and comfort she told me to choose a color marked "cool" and that would take care of the problem. It took me an hour as I stared at the 200 choices and strange hair samples, but I finally settled on a shade of medium blonde with a highlighting formula complete with applicator.
Bravely I went home and set up shop. Old towels, a timer, an old t-shirt and I was ready. It was excellent weight loss as I'm sure I sweated off two pounds in the process. Did you know you could dye your hair and loose weight at the same time? Bonus! Clairol should remember this for their next ad campaign. This was far more weight than I had lost with an official weight loss program I bought off of an infomercial after having my first baby that suggested you could loose weight by "breathing!" That's another story. Anyway, I made my way through the process and my hair looked great. I've never gone back to professional dyeing since.
So, you are probably wondering why I chose to share this story with you? I am "dyeing for change" in many areas of who I am as a woman. Strangely enough dyeing my own hair empowered me. It was a little step, but it was symbolic of something bigger that I needed to confront. After turning 40 I felt compelled to look at who I was and wanted to be for the second half of my life. I found myself contemplating the undeniable physical symptoms of age...wrinkles, triceps that wave, reading glasses and age spots.
Mentally I'm hungry for deeper thoughts, heartier laughter, more opportunities to think outside the box I've had so neatly wrapped for the four decades I've been alive. I'm entering a time of new growth, and I find it a little confusing and deliciously interesting. I've rediscovered books, quiet time with friends, and greater more satisfying intimacy in my marriage. I'm experiencing new wonderful moments of connection with my daughter as she matures into a young lady, a passion to express myself with written words, a longing to be really known and to know those around me. I'm learning to enjoy solitude, not only as a means of escape, but just because I enjoy my own company.
Creating Life Laugh Latte gave me a venue for self-expression and has been a huge part of this metamorphosis. I'm enjoying it immensely, and I hope you are too. I wonder if you are in a time in your life where you are also "dyeing for change?" Let me encourage you to embrace those feelings and consider the next chapter of your life. Ageing can be such a gift if you lean gently into it trusting that it has something to teach you. That's what I'm trying to do...along with planks, retinol eye cream, and drinking gallons of water!
With vivid detail I learned about color gone wrong, hair falling out, bright unnatural bronze hues that would be impossible for me to correct. It apparently was a completely scientific process that would leave me emotionally crippled for life if I even pondered the idea. Call me crazy...call me bold...call me a rebel...but I had to give it a try. I decided not only to go for all over color, but to also do the highlights myself. This really left my friends with their mouths hanging open.
I called my friend Lynn for support as I entered Longs Drugs as a complete color virgin. I told her the bronzy-red horror story, and with words of wisdom and comfort she told me to choose a color marked "cool" and that would take care of the problem. It took me an hour as I stared at the 200 choices and strange hair samples, but I finally settled on a shade of medium blonde with a highlighting formula complete with applicator.
Bravely I went home and set up shop. Old towels, a timer, an old t-shirt and I was ready. It was excellent weight loss as I'm sure I sweated off two pounds in the process. Did you know you could dye your hair and loose weight at the same time? Bonus! Clairol should remember this for their next ad campaign. This was far more weight than I had lost with an official weight loss program I bought off of an infomercial after having my first baby that suggested you could loose weight by "breathing!" That's another story. Anyway, I made my way through the process and my hair looked great. I've never gone back to professional dyeing since.
So, you are probably wondering why I chose to share this story with you? I am "dyeing for change" in many areas of who I am as a woman. Strangely enough dyeing my own hair empowered me. It was a little step, but it was symbolic of something bigger that I needed to confront. After turning 40 I felt compelled to look at who I was and wanted to be for the second half of my life. I found myself contemplating the undeniable physical symptoms of age...wrinkles, triceps that wave, reading glasses and age spots.
Mentally I'm hungry for deeper thoughts, heartier laughter, more opportunities to think outside the box I've had so neatly wrapped for the four decades I've been alive. I'm entering a time of new growth, and I find it a little confusing and deliciously interesting. I've rediscovered books, quiet time with friends, and greater more satisfying intimacy in my marriage. I'm experiencing new wonderful moments of connection with my daughter as she matures into a young lady, a passion to express myself with written words, a longing to be really known and to know those around me. I'm learning to enjoy solitude, not only as a means of escape, but just because I enjoy my own company.
Creating Life Laugh Latte gave me a venue for self-expression and has been a huge part of this metamorphosis. I'm enjoying it immensely, and I hope you are too. I wonder if you are in a time in your life where you are also "dyeing for change?" Let me encourage you to embrace those feelings and consider the next chapter of your life. Ageing can be such a gift if you lean gently into it trusting that it has something to teach you. That's what I'm trying to do...along with planks, retinol eye cream, and drinking gallons of water!
7 comments:
I love this post. You said it beautifully.
Welcome to Blogging! I saw your comment over at Hormones Hotflash and Headaches (Lee the Hot Flash Queen) and wanted to check you out. I'm your newest follower and looking forward to sticking around!
This is one of the reasons I started my blog, too! I also think that facing the prospect of my emptying nest made me look more inside myself. I have started to consciously set aside time for friends in a way that I didn't before. And I have started writing again (aside from blogging).
I'm not there yet with coloring my own hair, though!
This is a great post today!
This is also a reason I started my blog. My problem is I'm just starting to get brave enough to really write stuff. I am "dyeing for a change," too. Both literally and figuratively (I recently got botched at the salon and need some help repairing it---way too light highlights. ugh!)I am working on making more "me" time and trying to connect with myself and others more. But it's hard with little ones. Is it bad that I'm longing for kindergarten to start?!
Writing has always been an outlet for me to vent my frustrations, emote my feelings (the ones I would arrested for if I acted on them, i.e. slapping the lady in front of me talking on her cell phone instead of paying attention to the cashier), and creating characters that people can relate to. Blogging over the past year has put this at my fingertips to share and network, and mostly to find other mom's and women going through similar life changes. You versed this so well.
Mmm, as far as my dye jobs...yeah, black to red to blond to brown with blond highlights. All in the same month. My hair therapist that I go to once a year for my birthday makeover just LOVES me :-)
I LOVE this post for many reasons...
I tried dyeing my hair at home...and actually liked it, but went back to the salon (maybe because it was a few hours of quiet magazine reading???), and really don't see that much of a difference except for on the credit card bill! So why am I still doing it? Hmmm...must think about that one!
Then I really read the rest f the post, and I feel the same way...I continue to look for new products that firm, tighten, shed excess pounds, moisturize, I have just about every exercise program they ever produced an informercial for, etc as I get older (40 is on the horizon!). I have decided that I actually like aging...I do not want to be the person I was when I was 25...wouldn't mind looking like her, but I am just beginning to really know and appreciate who I am.
Thanks for the GREAT post and giving me something else to ponder today and tomorrow, and the next day...
This is a nice post. While scary at the time, change always ends up good because "In the end, everything is okay...if things aren't okay, it's not the end"
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