6 years, 11 months ago Bobbe White
"If I spent as much time praying as I did plucking, I'd be the Dalai Lama!"
Diane Sawyer
This quote from More magazine is taped it to my mirror. I feel exactly the same way.
There you are, out somewhere. You brush the jawline accidentally. There is the familiar little solo stubble. OCD bubbles up until you can extract the enemy. One moment the chin is baby smooth; the next, a stubble like our grandmothers emerges. In the short time it takes to cross the street...BAM! A single hair has pokes surfaces.
Each hair reminds us that we have fewer hormones, which used to keep unwanted hairs at bay. Cosmetic drawers contain multiple tweezers and magnifying mirrors of various strengths. I sadly realize that even my dearest friend in the world, or my honest daughter, won't mention the occasional stray that went wild. It's nearly an inch long! What's worse, in my white-haired world, it's black. Definitely black. I am appalled and curse these witch-like indicators. Aging is now beyond normal maintenance. Patrolling facial hairs requires daily vigilance!
There's evidence of various tools on the man's side of the bathroom counter as well. No, Ladies, we are NOT alone in this war! There are E.N.T.s (Not doctors...ear & nose trimmers), magnifying shaving mirrors and a pair of cheater (glasses) to assist in detection.
I have four thoughts about this battle which is clearly endless until, you know, the end. (I hear hair continues to thrive posthumously. Is there no mercy?)
1. I'm thankful hair still grows. This means my system is working.
2. I'm thankful my eyesight is myopic. I can find a stray hair on a gnat's ass.
3. Call attorney today: "Draw up a B.P.O.A. (Beauty Power of Attorney) A.S.A.P. My sister and I agreed years ago to honor this legal obligation 'til death do us part. We agree to continue the search and tweeze program that remains critical. Long after my vision clouds or my hands shake, stray hairs will not win!
4. Apply to law school to set up a B.P.O.A. Practice. Think: baby boomers + aging = strays. The case load will be heavy. Staffing needs must be adequate. Armored cars will be contracted to carry all the cash payments.
Never before has one affliction -stray hairs- been so universal and prevalent in our society. None of us is exempt. Ahhhh, hair: the great equalizer.
