“Is your hair naturally…”
“Yes,” I answered before the cashier finished her sentence, expecting her to be asking if it was naturally curly since I get asked that a lot.
“Yes,” I answered before the cashier finished her sentence, expecting her to be asking if it was naturally curly since I get asked that a lot.
“Gray?”
Did she just ask me if
my hair was naturally GRAY? Are you fucking kidding me? Is there someone behind
me?
I quickly toss my curls in a way that allows me to look
behind me for a moment to make sure nobody’s there. Nope, nobody but me.
“It’s so pretty,” she continued.
Really? My GRAY hair
is pretty? PRETTY? GRAY?
“Thanks,” I smiled and then admitted, “I thought you were
asking if it was naturally curly, but, yes the gray is natural, too.”
I mean, do people color
their hair gray ON PURPOSE (coolio celebs excluded, of course)?
“You’re very lucky. I’ve been coloring mine for 30 years now
to cover the gray.”
I smiled. I am lucky
but certainly not because of my GRAY hair.
“Yeah I stopped coloring mine when I got pregnant.”
“Oh are you pregnant now?” She looks down at my belly.
THIS CONVERSATION
KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!!! WILL YOU PLEASE BE MY NEW BEE EF EF?!?
“Uh no. That was 3 years ago.”
“Oh well I love it. It almost looks frosted.”
FROSTED?!? WHO FROSTS
THEIR HAIR ANYMORE?!? HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM?!??
I stuff my debit card back into my wallet.
“I want to stop coloring mine but I’ve asked the colorist if
it will be full gray if I stop and she says yes. So I keep on coloring.”
I smile.
“But I cheat and take those touch up boxes and have my 18 year
old just add it to any gray she sees every coupla weeks.”
“Oh that’s a great idea! I’ll have to keep that in mind for
when my two and a half year old is able to do that. Then maybe I’ll start
coloring my hair.” Take that mother to 18
year old! My kid’s only 2.5! See, I’m really not that old after all!
“No don’t start coloring it. It’s not solid gray and it
really does look so nice.”
“Well, thanks. I’ve never had anyone tell me that they
actually LIKE my gray hair so I’ll take it.”
“I actually don’t LIKE gray hair,” she says giving me my
receipt. “But yours is so pretty because it’s not solid. If mine could look
like that I wouldn’t color it. Don’t start!”
Two weeks away from turning 40, guess what’s on my mind?
WHO’S GONNA WASH THAT GRAY RIGHT OUTTA MY HAIR?!?
Just kidding. I've grown to love my natural hair (until someone asks me if I'm Lovie's Grandmother).
Oh goodness, I just love those kinds of conversations! Well, I agree with Miss Foot-in-her-Mouth, your hair is beautiful, so don't change it! Great story. You had me giggling.
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
ReplyDeleteAnother example of why self check outs are so damn great.
This post was awesome. Funny and honest, and I really enjoyed reading it.
P.S. Your hair really is great. I love the grey also, but didn't doubt for a minute that it was natural. That's hilarious.
I just truly don't get where people learn their "manners" (or lack thereof) from! Some people! People always ask if my hair is permed (when I wear it natural) and I always sort of laugh because although I am far from stylish and fashionable, I didn't realize people still got perms! :) BUT with that out of the way ;) I LOVE your hair (color and curls! :))
ReplyDelete"Oh, I actually don't LIKE the thing I just complimented. It's just that yours is marginally acceptable." Ha. All shock and jokes aside, natural grey hair is the bomb. I know people don't say that very often, nor do they use the term "the bomb" anymore, but it's true. Great post!
ReplyDeleteOMG conversation from hell. Well at least it was obvious she wasn't trying to be offensive, she must be naturally awkward...
ReplyDeleteThis post made me LOL. :D
Great conversation and for the record I like your hair too. Great post. i love the way you related the conversation.Great piece. Erin
ReplyDeleteYour hair is definitely pretty. Dark hair grays to a much nicer color than blonde does. At least you got a hilarious blog post out of it~
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the time my business partner congratulated one of our colleagues on her pregnancy. Problem? She wasn't pregnant... at all. Oopsie. The silver lining? She promptly went on a diet and lost 30 lbs.
ReplyDeleteOMG I laughed out loud at this. Poor thing, digging herself deeper and deeper in a hole. Great capturing of dialogue and your internal hilarious thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBahahahh man. I guess she's just trying to say its a pretty gray?
ReplyDeleteOh, christ. Hey foot in mouth! Hilarious. She really just kept on going, didn't she?
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud each time that clerk stepped in it. But your gray does look pretty. Maybe I'll stop plucking mine. :) Ellen
ReplyDeleteYour hair is really beautiful. Your story reminds me of a conversation my 18 year old sister had at the grocery store. She was not the one doing the asking, she was being asked about her gray hair, which at 18 looks very similar to yours.
ReplyDeleteYou should have definitely asked her to be your new BFF, who knows you could have used her to ward off future awkward situations ;)
Loved this. I would say it was "Laugh out loud funny" but then I'd feel too much like a movie reviewer for USA Today. Seriously good post, though. And, hey, you've got a great salt and pepper thing going on so you might as well rock it, right?
ReplyDeleteThis was well-written, funny and something I can definitely relate to. Love the term frosted. I'm of a generation when as a young girl all the moms "frosted" their hair. I think today's highlights are the same thing just different word. I had this conversation with my dental hygienist recently. I don't use over all color but do add highlights. She went on and on how she loves my hair and the gray. She then proceeded to say her mother was always solid gray and that she never will be, but she's tempted. Ha. Some of us stay a bit conflicted on the hair coloring issue.
ReplyDeleteMy hair is almost completely gray now. I forget about that until I see my father in law, who is always quick to remind me of that fact. He has very little hair, I am quick to remind him, better gray hair than no hair.....
ReplyDeleteum, wow. That's priceless.
ReplyDeleteI do like your hair like it is! But sometimes it's better just to not say anything...
Oh shit ha ha! I love the - I smile. Ha!
ReplyDeleteOh, jeez! What a conversation!
ReplyDeleteI get asked all the time if I color my hair because it's red and has blonde highlights and no, I don't. I'm fat, have bad eyes, and bad skin. But my hair is awesome, so I guess it's OK to assume that awesome hair on a fat, zitty chick is fake, right? Grrr...
Oh. Good. Lord. I can't believe this was an actual conversation! Where on earth did this person come from?
ReplyDeleteI think your hair looks great, by the way. Love the gray AND the curls.
All i have to say is HAHAHAHAHA! Thanks for a laugh. People are morons!
ReplyDeleteYou are so adorable. My hair is getting gray too. I'm 39. There's something I love about it-- a life well lived. Or I'm old enough not to give a crapola.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, so funny. Is your hair naturally gray? What a question. Great conversation, I enjoyed your thoughts through the ordeal. At least she sounded pleasant enough, if a bit naive about how she comes off.
ReplyDeleteWooooooow. Yes, this is indeed why I use the self-checkout lane religiously. Is your hair naturally grey?! What the ever loving WHAT?!
ReplyDeleteThis was hilarious. Thank you.
Woah, what an odd conversation, lol. Although she meant well? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI will stand on a line for the self-checkout to avoid conversations with cashiers. Funny story!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap!! Is that story for real??? The way you describe the conversation it almost sounds like she doesn't even realize how awkward and inappropriate she is! Well, made for a hilarious story!
ReplyDeleteOh, what a conversation. Some people are just oblivious...
ReplyDeleteHer question was so off the wall. Does anyone know anyone with non-natural gray hair (beside an actor in a role)? So weird.
ReplyDeleteSimply put: you can't fix stupid.
ReplyDeleteOr as we say, bless her heart!
You're gorgeous. ;)
Well, what can I say? At least in the pic it does look great (you look awesome btw, too, and the glasses really do suit you).
ReplyDeleteActually it doesn´t look "grey", it lightens up.
But what do I know, that conversation sure was weird ;-)