SILVER IS BETTER

 

From Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

SILVER IS BETTER...The lockdown through the Covid-19 spring and summer of 2020 brought about a tipping point for me and for slews of other first-world women who couldn’t get to their hairdresser for a color touchup. As a consequence, we joined the esteemed silver sisterhood—that group of senior women of every station in life comprised in part of some of my best girlfriends as well as of prominent women such as actors Diane Keaton (76), Helen Mirren (77), Glenn Close (75), Judi Dench (87), and others of their ilk—elder females who have ditched the dye and embraced their natural silver-white hair, and who show up as fabulous, confident, strong, and proud. Like me, I imagine that members of the silver sisterhood had to weigh the consequences and in the end, come to terms with the fact that going natural presents us as “older.” But I’m optimistic that more and more women will find the grace to accept with gratitude that “older” is the price we willingly pay for living, and in that vein, decide that silver is better.   

In our personal orbit, in stores, in church, and elsewhere, we see women in their late senior years not quite pulling off the “look” of the acceptable, cultural expression of everlastingly youthful womankind. It’s a false role fashioned for females by outside forces—one that must be recognized and escaped if women are to forge ahead more powerfully and authentically to their rightful place in the world. What’s more, if their rate of hair growth is like mine, their silver roots need a touch-up about every three days. “No thanks!” I say. “I have much more useful things to do with my time—with my much more precious time now that it is unfolding in my seventh decade.”

            According to family-dynamics expert Antonio Ferreira, “a certain amount of insightlessness” is required to keep any classification of humanity in a state of unawareness about its true nature and needs. A common manifestation is poor rather than wise life choices. The dictionary defines insight as: “the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing.” Some modern-day psychiatrists believe that lack of insight is a medically-based condition. Of course, chemical imbalances of the brain can manifest in an array of behavioral anomalies, but I think it’s shortsighted of the psychiatric community to overlook the role that culture plays in the phenomenon. I take the view that it’s just as often a culturally-based condition treatable through validation of the intrinsic worth of individuals regardless of classification and stage in the lifecycle. It seems obvious to me that over time, the absence of such validation can masquerade as a medically-based disorder.

“Doctor, doctor, fix her with a pill and a jab!” “Mad man, mad man, gaslight her with a new feminine hygiene product and a 24-hour lipstick!” “Leader, leader, grant her the right to vote but no seat at the table!” “Mirror, mirror, let her see black instead of silver in her hair!” I read about a hip young hairstylist saying to a senior client who took her advice and ditched the hair dye in favor of going natural, “Trust me. You will look better. It’s who you are, so be you. Be proud.”^[1]

I say, be proud of every loss and every gain, of breaking free of nonsensical expectations and coming out on the other side a lovingly authentic person. Take it from this fiercely imperfect but ever striving old gal: silver in the hair is the better badge of courage and achievement for those who are lucky enough to reach that milestone.©

 

Image: THE CAPLINGER SIBLINGS, watercolor painting by Linda Lee Greene

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In author Linda Lee Greene’s GARDEN OF THE SPIRITS OF THE POTS, Nicholas Plato flees his troubles in the USA and forges a new life in Australia. But his troubles hitch a ride right alongside him, and forces in the land Downunder bring him face to face with them and eventually reveal to him his true destiny.

GARDEN OF THE SPIRITS OF THE POTS is available in eBook and/or paperback. Just click the following blue link and it will take you straight to the page on Amazon on which you can purchase the book. https://tinyurl.com/dw6zbhbv

 

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[1] The Ethel aarp@email.aarp.org “How to Go Gray the Right Way”, from Candy Sagon