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KEELEY’S JUNE 30-DAY CHALLENGE
Do I Wear My Aging Scars Well?
Or am I fighting a losing battle?
Day six prompt: Do the effects of ageing bother you?
If I’m transparent, the gray hairs and skin changes, including those nasty chin hairs, are wearing me down, but not as much as my weight gain. Looking in the mirror, I see a face with minimal wrinkles and a head lush with gray hairs — not bad for a woman in her early sixties. However, it’s the physical heaviness born of quitting smoking years ago that has me worried. It’s difficult to climb a flight of stairs, and I am easily winded. I’m unsure how much my aching muscles and joints are due to aging or inaction.
I quit colouring my hair during Covid. I stopped buying box colours to avoid the mess and the cost — but most of all, to avoid the smell. Over time, I’ve developed difficulty with aerosol sprays and strong odours. It swells my throat, so it may be an environmental allergy. Once society began living life to its fullest again, my grays had grown. I avoided the salon, where the ammonia stench was ten times worse. Many say I should embrace the grays. I’m still undecided.
These days, my hair is a tapestry of different colours as it works its way to becoming entirely gray. You can’t miss the old golden brown hair dye, my current I-have-no-idea-what-to-call-it natural colour, splashed with white. Many say I look great. I wonder if they’re just being kind.
Aside from my physical appearance, I’ve noticed changes in my concentration and memory. I used to suffer from these deficits because of depression, but that’s no longer the cause. Instead, I attribute it to aging. It would help if I organized myself better, like making jot notes, so I didn’t miss appointments or birthdays and followed a routine to rely on muscle memory instead of my brain.
I’m finding growing older comforting alongside many in my life who are close in age and are experiencing similar challenges. It lets me know I’m among the norms. If I could lose weight through exercise and better dietary choices, I would have increased mental acuity and better stamina. I’d look more attractive.
As I am not getting younger, any change for the better is a step in the right direction.
