highlights and wrinkles

I had a very interesting conversation with a friend last night about getting older.  She is in college finishing up her degree and is not considered a "traditional" student.  Meaning that she is out of her teens.  The professor was speaking to the class and mentioned that most of them would not understand what he was saying due to the fact that most of the students were born in '91.  My friend was appalled and rolled her eyes with this comment.

I started thinking back and took myself on a little journey to "Back When I was 17..."  Back when I was 17, I remember someone asking me why I didn't color or highlight my hair.  My response was an easy because I LIKE my hair, it is healthy, pretty, natural, easy to manage, and until that changes I am content with what I've got.  I will also admit to being a little nervous that it might turn a crazy orange color because I do have a slight red tent to my hair (or so I've been told).  Anyway, fast forward 8 years later (and several teaching years later) and this is the conversation I had with my hairdresser.  (Note that I began getting gray hair at the ripe young age of 25.)

Me: What do you think I can do to cover up these gray hairs?
Hairdresser: We can color and highlight it.
Me: I'm scared it won't look right for me and I'll end up with crazy hair all the time instead of just some days.
Hairdresser: It will look fine.  Do you want to do it or not?
Me: I guess, but let's wait until I come back in 6 weeks.  I need to work up the nerve.
Hairdresser: Can't wait!

6 weeks down the road ...  I've sat in the salon for 2 hours.  My hair has been colored, highlighted, washed, and rinsed.  I look in the mirror ...

Me: Oh my gosh, it's too blonde!
Hairdresser: No it isn't.  It looks great!
Me: No, too blonde!  We have to fix it.  What can you do?
Hairdresser: I can put a little toner in to soften the highlights.  It fades out over time and you will never notice it.
Me: Okay, let's do that because I can't leave here looking like this!
Hairdresser: Oh geez!

15 minutes later...

Me: I like it!  It isn't too blonde and I can't really tell like I've had anything done except now there is NO gray hair.
Hairdresser: It does look great.
Me: Sheeesh, I was nervous there for a minute because it was REALLY blonde!
Hairdresser: That will be $50.

Back to last night's conversation with my non-traditional college student friend.  We are discussing the fact that we are indeed getting older and there are changes being made all the time to our appearance.  I tell her that I'm not sure at what age I should start using wrinkle cream (because I have now realized just like I did when I noticed the gray hair on my head that I will definitely have to do some maintenance) and she then flatters me by saying that I have no wrinkles.  I respond with, of course not.  That's because I keep getting fatter and the wrinkles get filled in.  In my opinion, that was an amazing sentence.  She called me crazy and I then realized that I had discovered the solution to every woman's wrinkle problems.  Gain weight.  What a break through.  Now to those of you cynics that think I'm crazy, that is fine.  Just know that while you are spending money and years trying to preserve your youth, I will be dining out and enjoying time with family and friends wrinkle free.

:o)