MONDAY, this week. I started my day dyeing my hair a deep blue. Hehe. I have been meaning to do it for the longest time but it is difficult to find midnight blue hair color so, the delay was expected.
Woke up early to do it so that I can go to work like nothing happened.
I took a selfie and posted on my social media wall and I could tell from the look on my face how happy I was that I am finally able to do it! Talk about starting the week on a good note! Yes, it is a big deal and I mean it from the bottom of my heart since I don’t like Mondays AND I am not a morning person!
Of course I was not totally prepared from the onslaught of reactions that I got from wanting to dye my hair blue.
Don’t get me wrong, I was neither pissed nor discouraged--just amused and giggly from all the funny comments and responses that I got from my friends. (My family is used to me hehehe.)
Yes. I was serious about dyeing my hair midnight blue. I actually have bluish-black hair now. A deep navy blue and not Cookie Monster blue, okay?
I would have done that back in college! It just makes me feel happy to actually get it done and over with, now I can move on and check off more things from my long list of stuff I want to do! There are things from your younger years that you want to try or accomplish even in your older years.
There are things, no matter how impractical or absurd they may be, that you need to do..just because! (Like having blue hair.)
“Anoyan, midlife crisis?” Duh. Is it? Malay ko. Siguro?
Honestly, I don’t really care how people explain my blue hair. I want blue hair! If it is a tell-tale sign of a midlife crisis the way my other “batchmates” expressed their by buying red flashy sports cars or a mean Harley or by getting inked with an awesome sleeve tattoo... then so be it!
It feels good to be able to finally do things that you cannot do in the past! It needn’t be grand, you know. It may be something as simple as travelling alone or wearing your hair short (or blue) for the first time. There is happiness in accomplishing even the littlest of things!
When you think about it, life crises can happen at any age.
We all have challenges that we need to overcome at different stages in our lives! Why does midlife crises such a bad rap? The 20-somethings have quarter life crises, why don’t they perceive that as a worse scenario? Is it because at that age (40 above), one is expected to be more mature hence able to handle challenges better?
The stereotypical image of a middle aged guy taking a youthful girlfriend for a ride in his flashy car does have some truth in it. I’ve seen it. (Not among my friends. Yet.)
It is a psychological experience that I would never dare underestimate.
Midlife Crises can be more challenging for some compared to others---and the struggle, big or small, is real. It is no joke to wake up one day realizing that you have lived so many years!
You realize that indeed, you have aged when you realize that you have gray hair, arthritis and it hurts to “twerk it like Miley” (if you actually know who Miley is)!
You listen to music on the radio and realize that the songs being played on Slowdown Sunday are YOUR songs and that some of them are familiar to the new generation because they have been remade by their favorite singers!
Oh no! It may sound funny and amusing but really, to some, these realizations are a serious matter.
It forces us to review our lives and see if we have much to show for. We are confronted with our mortality as we discover age spots and wrinkles or worse, when we realize that the people have been dying around us.
It does set off a depressing hue in our lives.
And just like any human being, we would do anything to get out of that funk or at least try!
It is normal for anybody to try and make the most out of life, it is just that at this stage, making the best effort to be more than you really are seem to count the most.
So I say, it is quite unfair for “outsiders” to make hefty generalizations about middle agers being impulsive, narcissistic fools. (Ouch!)
Has it ever occurred to anyone that it is at this age that most of us actually have the means and minds to get things done?
I refuse to accept that middle age is a sad age where people just want to recover their youth by doing youthful things. I believe that people at this age have less concern for what other people say and are more into accomplishing their aspirations and dreams in life--whether rooted in childhood, the teenage years or early adulthood!
Having gone through many challenges and experiences, there is more conviction and confidence to get things done at any cost, a sort of inspired immaturity that makes one stop at nothing except achieving a goal (no matter how outlandish and seemingly foolish it may be)! Hey, it is how bucket lists are born!
We should all see crisis as an opportunity to be better equipped for more challenges. We should see it as a chance to be better, stronger and wiser to deal with what life has yet to throw our way. We should perceive it as room for improvement, an extra shot or a possibility for worthwhile change! We should be able to look at our lives and see that there is much more we can do!
Of course we need to let go of certain things too... but still, life has so much to offer! We should grab it and take advantage of the time that we have left to explore and hopefully end up inspiring others in the process.
The world is out there ready to offer us the means to do what we want and really feel good about it, why should we hesitate?
And that, is why I have bluish black hair.
Have a Happy Sunday Everyone! Nina S. Custodio, MD