An inorganic practice

In her recent article Miss Teresa Vong brought up a very interesting topic: allowing the hair to turn grey is also one way to go organic in life. She says that the majority of senior females are not mindful of their health deterioration, but are not so receptive to an aging appearance. I couldn’t agree more, as I am one of these females.

I can claim to be an environmentalist. As mentioned in my previous blog, to avoid wastage, I refrain from unnecessary purchases. When eating out, I never order more than I can consume, and if some food does remain, I take it home. Of course, I am very careful about saving electricity and washing water. In fact, I have been having what everyone suggests about a green life.

However, there is one practice which, I am afraid, is not very organic. I cannot do without regular hair-tinting. When still a teacher, I used to explain that a youthful look would make me more approachable to students. This is true to a certain extent. Students tend to associate a teacher’s age with her willingness to accept new concepts. They may find a younger looking teacher more agreeable as the generation gap between them, if any, is still acceptable. So I tried to convince myself that I was mothering my students though I was actually the age of their grandmother.

I have retired for a year but I still feel disturbed at the sight of a few grey hairs. Graying hair, which used to appear every two months despite the tinting, now demands attention more and more frequently, increasing my dependence on the hairdresser. I keep my hair dyed black for a reason no less justifiable than the previous one: I have a lot of young friends, whose company keeps me young at heart and oblivious of the approaching old age.

Of course, there are other signs of ageing that I cannot fight against. I am well aware of the lines on my face and the loose skin on my neck. The weakness of the knees is the most alarming of all. It thus seems silly to struggle to stem the tide of ageing. But I am still used to my black hair, though artificially so. I know one day I will have to surrender completely to my true self. But before that, let me be just a bit less organic.