Hair Bigotry

Psalm 71:18
Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation
your might to all who are to come

Gray hair--does it trigger respect? honor? humor? What do I think when I see someone with gray hair? Sometimes I think, do I look that old? Sometimes I think, I hope I look that good. I jokingly told my students today that gray hair is a symbol of wisdom and respect, but is it really? I let my hair go gray because I wasn't fooling anyone. I colored my hair for several years, but because I am blessed or cursed with healthy hair that grows fast, a color would only look good for about two weeks. Then my gray roots would show, and everyone knew the "truth."
My sister Phyllis was very ill at that time that I decided to quit coloring, and I was very stressed because the reality was hitting me that she wasn't going to get better. When you combine the genetic fact that my mom went gray early to the stress of watching my sister die a slow, agonizing death, my hair just kept getting grayer and grayer. I finally just gave up.
What is different about the way people treat me? Well, a couple of years ago, our Language Arts department attended a computer workshop, and the instructor stood behind me because she thought I needed constant help. In truth I wasn't the one that needed the extra help. It was my first experience with prejudice. It made me laugh at the time, but truthfully, it also made me mad.
One place I've really noticed that I'm treated differently is on the ski slopes. People gingerly ski past me; I guess they don't want to knock me down because I might break a hip.
I can remember my mom complaining that men could go gray and look distinguished, but when women let their hair go gray, they just look old. Does it bother me to look old? I guess not. If it did, I would color my hair.
Let's go back to the scripture at the top. God doesn't care what color my hair is. He will not forsake me, He will not assume that because I am gray that I am not as "sharp" as I used to be. He still expects me to declare His power to the next generation.
My mom was one of the most "young at heart" people I've ever known. I hope one of the many things I learned from her is to maintain the mindset that I have something to offer. God's message is timeless; I can't go wrong.