Originally Posted by adiemus

I don't think aging itself is fantastic, I think the wonderful thing is just what you've said above: Experience of what can go arse-up in life though makes you happier with yourself as you age.
and the other thing you said: the best things about being old is you stop caring what people think

Sadly, I saw my mother yesterday. She is 66, and has just had a total hip joint replacement. We were talking about my daughter who is 15 and has an outrageous sense of style - Michelle was in a fluoro pink tutu, with holey fluoro pink tights over her black tights, a fluoro green, yellow and pink striped top, purple cardigan, and AT LEAST 150000 different coloured necklaces - black hair with a fluoro pink hairpiece. My mother pulled one of those 'do you know how dreadful your daughter looks' faces - and I mentioned that at least she was 'herself' and that I wished I'd done that at her age!

Mum then looked at my hair and said 'it's getting quite gray isn't it, you know you need to cut it shorter once its gray, older women with long gray hair look so old.' I replied that I wanted to leave my hair to grow long and gray, and she said 'well you won't be standing beside me then, they'll think you're older than I am!'.

This is from my mother who has worn the same hairstyle since she was in her 20's, and is white-haired!

To say I was offended is to understate the feeling - but my mother and I don't really understand each other anyway...!
The point is, I don't really care as much about what most people say (apart from my mother!), and provided that I feel comfortable in my own skin, and I'm reasonably healthy (OK so yes I do have osteo in my feet and fingers!), I think what I wear and how I look doesn't have to stick with 'tradition'.

Since this conversation I've scouted out a bunch of inspirational photographs from the internet of women with gloriously long and gray hair! I think they look great - here's one!!

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