NuevaVida -> RE: How far would you be willing to go... (9/28/2012 9:32:33 AM)
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ORIGINAL: Focus50 Here I sorta agree. First, I think it's the "middle-aged" thing. With age, we become less tolerant to change because we've spent a lifetime finding out what we're comfortable with. At 58, that's easy for me to appreciate. I think this is it, really. Speaking for myself, I spent a lifetime twisting and turning myself into whatever someone else wanted me to be. After finding myself single without a clue who *I* was, I spent a lot of time, effort, energy, tears, etc., learning myself, liking myself and coming to really love and appreciate myself. So now in my mid 40's, someone saying, "Hey I really want you to look like/be/change into XYZ," it's a big pill to swallow. I didn't do all that excruciating work just to change it on someone else's whim - couple that with the fact that *most* relationships don't ultimately work out. I figured men come and go, but I'm with myself forever. So these days, I'm carefully aware of whether or not the changes he'd like to see can be done with me remaining true to my core self. If not, we have conversations about it. Now sure, hair is hair. But to women, hair can be a huge reflection of self image. I mean HUGE. Men tend to not understand this, but in general (much as I hate generalizations), a woman's beauty image is connected to her hair. This is why many cancer patients are just as traumatized by losing their hair as they are by the cancer itself. Hair can completely change the way a woman sees her own external beauty. This is why many women (myself included) spend top dollar on hair styles and colors, and want their stylists to get it *just right*. Cutting an inch too much off can be a huge deal. The slightest incorrect tweak can be a big deal. Rational or not, logical or not, it's the way it is. I wouldn't say I'm *that* picky about my hair, but I do take pride in its style and color, and in the way it shapes my face (hair can make a face look wider, longer, narrower, etc.) and so on. Hair too long can change the shape of a face. So can hair too short. So someone wanting me to make those changes in me is going to change the way I look, and the way I look is important to me. That said, I've had fairly long hair for years and years and years. I just cut a little more than 3 inches, giving me a completely different look. It took over 3 years of being with him for me to comfortably do that. In 6 weeks I'm going red. It took gradually adding red hues to my hair over the course of a year to get me comfortable with the change that's to come. Gradual changes are less dramatic/traumatic than sudden ones. Do I think he doesn't love me for who I am? Not a chance. He loved me when my body and hair were much different than they are today, and he's continued to love me and be patient with these changes. Had he wanted these changes right away, I would have suggested he find someone who looks like that. Instead, we've created an awesome relationship, regardless of my looks, and that's what's most important.
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