Hey, That's My Name! IF "Dusty"



Lots of Fun with a Dusty Bottle!
Smooth Bristol Paper/Ink & Paint

The topic for this week at IF is "dusty". I'm very partial to the word.

A few years ago, I was tested for allergic triggers, because, obviously, I was having problems with reactions to almost everything. One of the conclusions was that I am allergic to a couple of the ingredients in hair dye.

This was a traumatic discovery. I had started turning gray when I was 28 and had been dying it ever since. I knew I was heavily gray under the color and dreaded letting it show. There's nothing as aging to a woman's appearance as gray hair.

With the help of a friend (who is also a masterful hair stylist), over about 2 years, the gray emerged, gracefully. I knew that it was permanent and, no matter how much I hated it, there was no realistic way of getting around it. Denial, rage, resignation, acceptance. I was grieving for my youthful-looking hair. Probably, for the youth in general, really.

About this time, I was becoming a texting fool and wanted a moniker that was me, but not ridiculous for a woman-of-a-certain-age. And, a song came to mind. It's called Dust On the Bottle. See where this is going? Here's the line that hit me:

"There might be a little dust on the bottle, but don't let it fool ya 'bout what's inside."

That was it; that was my needed, new handle. Dusty Bottle. It made gray hair fun. And a little saucy. Nothing wrong with a little saucy fun, ladies. Puts a bright twist on middle-age.

So, thank you, Illustration Friday, for the opportunity to illustrate my new nickname and to show how much fun a dusty bottle can be!