Greying is Not Ugly

A tiny life moment of realising the fluidity of time

The Moment

Sometime back before the pandemic had taken over our lives, my friend noticed a patch of grey strands on my crown. “Why can’t you colour your hair?”, she urged me. “I don’t want to”, I replied. “But why do you want to look old?”, she seemed puzzled. “Why shouldn’t I look my age? Why should I look younger?”, I replied. I was amused. “Why shouldn’t you look younger? Tell me do I look ugly?”, she challenged.

I could not lie. She actually looked graceful. Of course, she had done away with grey hair and wrinkles. Her charming smile and elan knocked off at least ten years of her age.

She knew she had won. I don’t think I lost either.

Reflections

Today we met again, of course not in person but on skype. I was surprised to see her. She looked so different. Locked up in our homes as we are because of fear of the pandemic, her visits to salons has become an impossible dream! It was my turn now, I assumed, to suggest using those DIY colours for her crown. Pat came her reply, “Why? Do I look ugly?” followed by her characteristic, infectious laughter. This time she won. I had no words to counter her.

TIME, as they say, is complicated and difficult to understand. Who could have ever thought that within a short span of a few months our life situations would change in such a drastic way? It seems just yesterday when all of us were worried about our children remaining hooked to social media platforms and turning more and more unsocial in reality. Ironically, here we are, as it is today, at a point of our lives, practically depending on the virtual platform. Again, it was not so long ago, when pretty, well-groomed looks and good physique were considered an asset. A huge amount of money and time was spent on looking young and beautiful by both men and women alike. Today, however, we are keen on buying the best masks available in the market.

At a personal level, I can say that my perceptions of looking at things have undergone a sea change. Had it not been for the present situation that we are in, I could have never, for once, imagined seeing my friend as I found her today accepting reality with so much optimism.

Takeaways

• Nothing is permanent. Especially, when we think of ‘time’ it is unpredictable. Yet everyone holds on to the fact that there is always a tomorrow for us to depend on.
• Change is a necessary part of life. Ageing and greying is but the manifestation of the passage of time. Nobody can run away from accepting this truth.