Waving Hi at Strange Men

[Snowshoe]

Is it just me or does anyone else think the early baby boomers are all starting to look alike? More and more the ladies don't dye their hair and they tend to keep it short. I find myself staring at them in the grocery store, wondering if I'm supposed to know them. Of course mine is grey and short too. And the men, so many of them are growing beards and they are grey beards. I waved at three grey bearded men, all driving pickup trucks, while driving home the short distance from walking Oban. The third one I knew for sure as he lives across the street and I know his truck. I wonder who the other two were? I figured they were all leaving our small village so must be neighbours. They must be wondering which grey haired lady is being so friendly to them.

[Blackboy98]

Early boomer here. I like that the ladies are growing their hair natural ( and it should be long not short), I think all should and men too. No beard here, BUT I just started a pony tail and feel a 'little embarrassed' with it. There is nothing wrong with a wave to someone you do not know, just smile and wave back. You might make that person have a good day!

[Jeff]

Early boomer here. I like that the ladies are growing their hair natural ( and it should be long not short), I think all should and men too. No beard here, BUT I just started a pony tail and feel a 'little embarrassed' with it. There is nothing wrong with a wave to someone you do not know, just smile and wave back. You might make that person have a good day!

I agree with this while I am a bit young to be a boomer, I am close enough. I am to the point where yes I have a beard and it is about 50-50 gray. I never understood why women as they get older with gray hair cut it short. I always found long hair attractive no matter the color. There are some women with long gray hair I would just simply call sexy. It doesn't need to be super long. I like Diane Keaton style but longer the better like Hillary Bitar. I actually find it quite refreshing if you haven't noticed a lot of young women are dying their hair gray. It seems to be a new trend. However still a long silver haired woman, just kind of exudes a certain sex appeal and a confidence in who she is.

[smartrock]

I guess if you were walking Oban, they'd know which grey haired lady was waving at them unless there are lots of women with grey hair walking handsome black labs in your village!

I don't color my hair and thank you, Mike and Jeff, for your votes. I've had younger women who color their hair ask me how I grew mine out- well, pretty much one strand at a time. Growing up I remember one of my grandmothers who colored her hair well into her 70s. When it would grow out, even a little, the white, white roots against her dark brown hair was so noticeable. For a long time I thought when people got "old", overnight their hair would switch from their natural brown/blonde/red and start growing out white. I've got to keep mine long enough to put in a ponytail but not so long it looks like I left my broom parked at the curb, or that's what I tell myself anyway.

[Annette47]

I’m an older Gen-X rather than a young boomer, but I still have my hair long and don’t color it, though there’s only one or two gray hairs in it so far. Glad to hear the guys here like longer, uncolored hair as that will most likely be my future!

[SunDance]

Ooh....I got a compliment....I got a compliment....

Thank you, Mike and Jeff.

Me, too, with the natural color...although my hair is below shoulder length. I'm resisting cutting because I've always thought I looked best with long hair...behind the ears, natural non-style. I had it witch broom length till last year when it started thinning...the ponytail I wore it in all the time away from the house started to look uninspired. Hair almost to my waist just didn't go with a 65 year old face (66 in three days...shhhhh....).

I wish mine would gray/whiten faster. Mine is mostly in the back and, I guess, maybe 20%. My complexion wants lighter again and as I've aged, my "dishwater blond" has become "dark mousy". Not attractive at all. The white is looking good.

Oh yeah...strange men. I used to ignore horn beeps because invariably it turned out to be someone I didn't know...who perhaps would stop and indicate that he'd like to change that after I waved back. But then I got too much flak from people I knew who said I'd blown them off. So now I wave to anyone when I see a hand moving back and forth in a car facing me or hear a beep from either direction. I figure that the ones who don't know me would think better than to stop when they noticed my face (not ugly, just older....and not likely to be interested). And if it's a mistaken wave on either part, who cares???

[Kleb]

I've been called out for not waving at people I know. I generally don't associate a vehicle with a person and if you have dark tinted windows I can't see you. Also, I often walk with my head down trying to avoid puddles etc.
I'm a late baby boomer and would love to have long hair, but it's baby fine and not very thick. Hence, I keep it rather short. No sign of grey yet. Not sure what's up with that. I won't be colouring my hair once it starts to change.

[Snowshoe]

Growing up I remember one of my grandmothers who colored her hair well into her 70s. When it would grow out, even a little, the white, white roots against her dark brown hair was so noticeable.

That's what mine was like when I did colour it. Plus, mine grows very quickly so I'd colour it and one week later have nearly a quarter inch of white roots. Very dark, almost black, hair with that much white root, it looks like the hair is floating above the head. We go grey early in my family too, so another reason to stop as I read the darker the dye, the longer it's used, the easier it rinses out the stronger the link to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

@Kleb, Mr. Kleb is probably one I would wave at. Yes, the tinted windows don't help. But the windshield isn't tinted and those white beards, they almost glow in the dark.

[SunDance]

That's what mine was like when I did colour it. Plus, mine grows very quickly so I'd colour it and one week later have nearly a quarter inch of white roots. Very dark, almost black, hair with that much white root, it looks like the hair is floating above the head. We go grey early in my family too, so another reason to stop as I read the darker the dye, the longer it's used, the easier it rinses out the stronger the link to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

@Kleb, Mr. Kleb is probably one I would wave at. Yes, the tinted windows don't help. But the windshield isn't tinted and those white beards, they almost glow in the dark.

Around here, we've got plenty of tinted windshields...I hate that. I also think it's against the law, but what do I know?

[kimbersmom]

Why the short hair as women get older? For a lot of women, like me, their hair consistency changes as it grays. Mine has gotten very fine and wirey. I tried growing it out a couple years ago and it was a mess! I've gone back to the pixie. But I do still color it because I'm only in my 40s.

Re: strangers- I travel a fair amount for both work and personal vacation. I have puzzled many strangers by smiling and waving, thinking I knew them- except then I realized they kinda/sorta resembled someone I know back home, and my wave reflex just kicked in.