Coloring My Hair Cheung Chiu Shan
				The thought of being young again was uppermost in my mind……
		In my mother's mind, I will always be her little girl no matter how old I am. Every time my mother saw me, she would give me all kinds of advice.
		A few years ago when she saw my salt and pepper hair, she said I should color it, especially if I planned to visit Hong Kong again. I didn't see anything wrong with my hair. It is a natural aging process for hair color to change from black to gray and white. But my mother held a different view. She said if I colored my hair, I would look at least ten to fifteen years younger. In a society where most people color their hair to conceal their true age, I should follow what the majority of people do so that I would look young in my golden years.
		Could I resist the temptation of vanity ? Of course not. The thought of being young again was uppermost in my mind after hearing my mother's convincing argument.                  When I looked at the shelves stocked with hair colors at Walmart, I was confused by the wide variety of choices. I didn't know that a hair color could come in so many different shades. Should I get permanent or semi-permanent color? Would brown be better than black or black better than brown ? What about color-enhancing shampoo and conditioner to maintain the vibrancy of my colored hair?                  The first time I saw my dark brown hair, I thought I liked my new look. When I rode the Hong Kong subway with my brother, a middle-aged man got up and yielded his seat to my brother instead of me.                  My brother, five years my junior, looks older than I am because of his gray hair. He winked at me and grinned. I smiled back at my brother. We both knew that our mother had proved her point.
						What would my mother say next? I still wear jeans, T-shirts and blouses, the casual look that I have been so used to since my college days. From time to time, I heard my mother say, "When you reach a certain age, you should dress appropriately to reflect your personality and individuality......"
	Well, I would listen to my mother and dress my age on special occasions in Hong Kong. Once I am back in Hawaii, I want to dress casually, wearing shorts and sandals like a true Hawaiian.
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