They're not even gray, really. It's more like a shocking white, devoid of any pigment whatsoever. Granted, I've had some gray-ish hairs before... More like ashy brown that seemed to be a part of my overall coloring, but these new guys are rebels; standing tall in a crowd of brunettes.
I've been staring at the gray for almost a week. Every time I look in the mirror I examine it. How did it get to be so white? How did it get to be so long? How long has it been there without me noticing? I guess I should be thankful that I recently turned 27 and I'm just now seeing my first real gray, but I'm torn. Do I pluck it? Will two more grow in its place? Do I keep it and accept the inevitable? I actually think that salt and pepper hair is particularly handsome, but I guess it's a different feeling when it's on me versus someone else.
Maybe it's good that I have gray. Maybe it's a sign that I have been working at life so hard that I've altered my body. My persistence has pushed the very color right from my follicles. I earned it. A living merit badge.
Maybe it's a sign that I'm working too hard and I need to chill out a little bit because my body is giving up on me, one lock at a time.
Maybe it's a sign that I am pushing thirty and that's what happens to your body when you get older. The grays, the creaks, the wrinkles.
I think I'm going to leave them. No plucking. Wear them proudly until one of my friends makes an a-hole comment and makes me feel self-conscious and I yank them out. I'll stick it out as long as possible.
Just thought I would share my thoughts on the topic. Nothing ground breaking going on here, but a little self-reflection is good, no? Honestly, I'm actually okay with getting older. It doesn't freak me out like many people.
As my mom would say, "What the alternative?"