Definition Essay: The Color Of Gray Hair

As the youngest of seven children, I was and still am the baby. My oldest brother was twenty one years old and away at college when I was born. He and I have never lived in the same house, but we grew up in the same environment. For me, my brother was always old. He is the same age as a lot of my friend’s parents, but he and I are very close. Especially since our parents have passed away. About ten years ago, he called to ask me to go someplace with him. I told him I had a hair appointment. His comment was “what does that take, forty five minutes or so?” I told him I would be at least two hours, he retorted “What are they doing, cutting one hair at a time?” I said “no, it takes that long for the color”. He was silent for a good thirty seconds. In an incredulous tone with wonder he said “you color your hair?” I said “of course I color my hair”. I asked him “what color was mom’s hair when she was …show more content…
Proverbs 16:31 says “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life” (New Oxford Annotated Bible). Biblically, gray hair is a symbol of a good and godly life. Our culture tells a different story, especially for women. In a 2012 Huffington Post article, David Scher, a civil rights attorney in Washington D.C. is quoted as saying "I think women in the workplace are highly pressured to look young. If I were an older working person, the last thing I would do is go gray." In certain industries older “gray haired” women may not be thought of in the same light as younger women. In a competitive job market, many women feel pressured to retain an energetic youthful appearance. Statistics from the same Huffington Post article show that in 1950, 7 percent of women dyed their hair; whereas today it is closer to 95 percent or more, depending on geographic location (2012). Women want to be competitive in the job market where natural gray hair may be interpreted as being tired or old. It is a personal choice for