The Launch

Well, between our businesses , a longstanding illness that has been overcome, and many more excuses, I know little to nothing about blogging.

But I figured-- what the heck-- just get in and get going.

So, here we are....

Why Gray Cougars? Because I am 56 and have been using henna on my hair for several years. I refused to use dye for 2 reasons-- one: I despise the way that it makes hair look. Everyone walks around these days with their hair all one colour. There are no highlights unless one wishes to spend much more money at the hairdresser and have them added. Even when they are, they are in bunches and often those hideous blocks.

That's why I love henna. It creates different tones and colours throughout the hair.

Two (and most important): I will not douse my scalp with the horrendous chemicals that these hair dyes encompass. There are enough toxins in our world without buying extra carcinogens to put straight into our bloodstreams.

Henna is great but it's time consuming and messy. So, a few weeks ago, as my hair was beginning to show that lovely skunk look, with grey roots sprouting, I sort of had a belated epiphany. Why was I doing this? And for whom? Not for my husband, who loves my hair, not because of its colour or length but because it is attached to me. Not for myself who has many other things to do with the time necessary to keep it coloured. And certainly not for the billion dollar hair dye industry which keeps the dangers under wraps as it merrily spends millions to promote changing one's hair colour.

And what's really scary is that kids are doing this now.

I started to wonder, who decided that gray, in all its variants, is not beautiful? Oh wait, I know! The billion dollar hair colour industry!
I hear people say, "I'll wait until it's white. Mine is steel gray (or salt and pepper) and that's ugly."

According to whom? Oh yeah-- the billion dollar hair dye industry!

So, enough. Why are we allowing corporations to tell us what we want?

And before you all can start screaming that you are doing it for you -- come on.... Seriously, think about it. What if you looked in the mirror and thought, "Cool! More gray!"

Think it can't be done? Mute those ads when they come on TV. Look past them in the magazines (or dwell on how ridiculous it looks when every hair is the same exact colour).

I am now "toughing it out". I have the henna that does not want to leave, with lots of black, gray and silver following along behind. It's going to look weird for awhile but I guess that's the price of getting sucked into the whole beauty industries' large black hole.

This blog will be about going gray, health concerns, politics, animal rights, human rights and all things controversial. I hope you'll come along for the ride!