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“You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” 
― George Bernard Shaw

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Authentic Self: To Be or Not to Be!

1/18/2016

8 Comments

 
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"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.
 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. 

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth."
​Psalm 139:14
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​Good morning everyone! It truly has been a while. A good friend had to pull me out of hiding and gave me some wonderful counsel and encouragement about writing again.  I have to tell you 2015 was a year of many changes, which impacted me and my family in so many ways.

Losing my mother in law was so hard. It was sudden and without any warning! My days seem to continue to go down hill with my knee surgery and recovery. Writing was placed on the back burner. I just did not have the emotional fortitude to even try. Many a days I would sit in front of my computer, praying for some inspiration, but it seemed as if my well had run dry!

This morning as I sat once more, I suddenly had a thought about changes. I could feel a slight stirring and I finally received a little sprinkle of inspiration.

For those of you who follow me, I do apologize it has taken me so long to put my pen to the page. As you know, I love to write about real life situations and sometimes enjoy giving them a little twist. It is my hope that you can relate and my blog may give you some hope or encouragement. ​I love sharing my heart about things that influence us all as we age.

So today I would like to talk about changing those things that need changing and leaving the things that do not need to change, even when we are tempted to change them.


This morning when I thought of writing about this change in my life, I felt it was somewhat superficial. Here I go talking about my hair once more, but if you will stay with me, I will try to bring it all together and possibly give this subject a bit more depth. Maybe you will be able to relate to changes that have happened in your own life.
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I would like you to focus your attention to the picture on the left. That is me. Do you see that black line through my hair? It truly is an anomaly, something that I can not explain. I have heard it called a Skunk Line!
​
It was hard enough to commit myself to "Dye Anonymous" but to see I had acquired the so called "SKUNK LINE" toyed with my vanity buttons even more so!

I knew there must be a scientific explanation for it, but honestly... I had not taken the time to look it up. I was sure in my limited knowledge it had to do with pigments and all that.





Anyway...
When I first quit dyeing my hair, almost five years ago, it was a life changing event. I committed myself to not dyeing my hair any longer. Almost daily, I argued with myself about leaving my hair alone.

​For some women this is not be a big deal, but for those of us who had dyed their hair over and over for many years, it can be a very big deal!  I could not keep up with the silver wanting to shine and not only did I have the grey to deal with but this streak began to make itself known.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
 Ralph Waldo Emerson
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One day at church a friend shared with me that she wanted me to meet a friend of hers.  She jokingly pointed me out to her friend and said..."She is the one with the grey hair and the cool black streak." 
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For starters...I would never think of my "Skunk Stripe" as cool, but to say it out loud just felt weird. However...I just giggled and said, " She can't miss it for sure!"
It was then I started to WORRY over my anomaly endlessly. Why do we women do that to ourselves? We take a small thing and begin to mull into a BIG thing! It was not long that I decided to put an end to my "cool stripe." That cool streak was going to go away. I began to look into silver dye that would match the rest of my hair. I was so excited to find a dye that would work, so I was told. It was NOT that I wanted my silver to go away, but I was bound and determined that my "Skunk Stripe" was going to say bye bye!

I went home and dyed my black streak. Upon drying my new dyed hair, I was horrified to find that it had turned a strawberry blonde. I now no longer had a dark streak but had a bright strawberry blond one against all my silver. I was horrified! What had I done? I did not pass go, nor collect my two hundred dollars, I ran straight to the hair dresser begging them to fix it.

Once again I was assured..."No problem we can blend it all in."

What that meant was they would highlight the strawberry blonde all through my hair and I would no longer have the streak but also my silver hair would no longer be.

After all was said and done...I was now a strawberry blond and my silver hair was dead and gone or I should say hidden under all the dye. All the mental work I did to give up the dye and was down the toilet before I could say..."Skunk Stripe!"

It is amazing how other women can find you when you make a change. I bet I ran into every one I knew my entire life in one weeks time. The main comment was..."I thought you were not going to dye your hair anymore!"

It was kind of embarrassing. SO now I felt the the need to explain the whole ordeal. I had made such a big deal out of the "NO DYE THANGY!"  I felt I had gone back on my word, but truly...It is my hair and who cares! It is not like there is a HAIR DYE POLICE walking around monitoring who flunked out of DYE ANONYMOUS!
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A couple of weeks had passed and I began to notice the silver making its debut once again. It was not long before my "Skunk Stripe" came back with a vengeance.


I could hear the wicked witch say to me!​
​"I'll get you my pretty and the rest of your hair too!!!
It was then that I made the decision to cut all my hair off into a Pixie and start over on a clean slate. My dark streak came back darker and seemed to settle in among the silver strands once more. I was back to where I had started and it felt refreshing.

I could hear my black streak saying to me...."You cant get rid of me that easy!"

It was then I decided this was who I am! I am the lady with the cool black streak!

Ageing gracefully is not always easy. I fell into the trap of trying to hide my true identity and change my outward appearance because of my own insecurities. Some time in my life I must have heard that having a black streak was not good. Why would I worry over it.  As superficial as it may have been, my motives and feelings ran deep, and it was a struggle.

It is not easy to accept and be oneself in a world that is constantly bombarding us women with a picture of who they think we should be. I would like to know who wrote the book and made all these so called "social norms."


I am happy to report that I have now embraced my black streak and call it my life line. It reminds me that God made me just the way I am and he knows every hair on my head.

I mean who am I to mess with His creation!
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 "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
​Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don?t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:29-31
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In closing...Please let me add one more thing. I am not saying it is wrong to dye your hair or change anything if that is what your heart tells you to do. Dye your hair purple if that is what makes you happy. The concern comes in when we begin to change ourselves for others or the fear of standing out in a different way. We are not made to fit in the same box! Fear of what others think can be detrimental to our well being. Finding a way to be our true authentic selves is a path worth pursuing. 
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Have a blessed day and thank you so much for stopping by!
​Kimmie

​Sharing is Caring!
Please take some time and check out these wonderful blogs from some insightful and creative writers.

Vicki Warner
Angelia Phillips
Maria Jordan
8 Comments
femmeflashpoint link
1/18/2016 12:29:03 pm

Sunnie Girl,

I'm thrilled to see you back at your keyboard!!

And for what it's worth, I think that stripey-thing going on in your hair is absolute awesome-sauce and hope you never feel the urge to make it disappear again. It's seriously cool!

femme

Reply
Kim Thompson
1/18/2016 04:07:42 pm

awww thank you Femme! Good to see you and I hope there will be more post to come! God bless you my friend.
Kimmie

Reply
Vicki
1/19/2016 03:51:19 pm

Hi Dear Kimmie,
So great to see you back here! I wouldn't have known, except for your link from flashpress.weebly.com! So glad femme chose to bring our attention to your new post! Maybe I have to subscribe again?
Well, you know I agree with you on this one! Never have dyed my hair, and don't plan to, but that's because I know I wouldn't keep up with it!
I like your cool dark streak. Do you realize at this very moment other women are paying hundreds of dollars to achieve your special natural look?
It's more than the hair though, isn't it? It's about just accepting yourself, doubts and all!
So happy to welcome you back!
Big hugs, Vicki

Reply
Kimmie
1/19/2016 05:48:29 pm

Hi Vicki
Thank you so much for coming by. I think I worried over that streak more than anyone so I have decided to let it go!! Lol..It feels good to be back.I pray I can keep getting glimpses of inspiration for future post. God bless you my friend
Kimmie

Reply
Maria link
1/20/2016 09:37:20 am

Oh beautiful Kimmie,

I have to agree ~ your streak is striking.😘

So happy to see you writing...you've been missed.

Love you, mar

Reply
Kimmie
1/20/2016 12:06:28 pm

Hello Mar thank you so much for visiting today. It does feel good to be writing again. God bless you always
Kimmie

Reply
crazyhorseladycx link
2/19/2016 01:05:15 pm

i confess to've read this numerous times 'n giggled with each! i believe that'cher hair was jest gorgeous myself 'n it reminded me'f my favorite great aunt. she started off life's a redhead 'n 's the years went by those silver strands came to visit. not too much unlike yer own, 'xcept where yer's is black that's where hers turned snowy white.

she embraced such, this 'skunk stripe'. heck, folks e'en asked her who did her hair. to which she always replied "God". it was with sadness 'n more passage'f time that all became that beautiful grey.

we're each given gifts 'n that uniqueness that sets's apart from others's what makes us so special. so glad that'cher gonna embrace it now coz i think ya look jest gorgeous :)

Reply
Kimmie
2/19/2016 03:29:53 pm

Dearest crazyhorselady...oh how excited I was to see you today on my blog! What a treat this was! Thank you so much for leaving such a great comment and you truly made my day.
Love and hugs!
Kimmie

Reply



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