Going gray is somewhat unconventional, similar to the hobbies and interests of our readers.

Meet Miriam Schottland, an expert driver trainer with 20 years of experience in teaching counter-terrorism, accident avoidance, high performance driving and racing at the most prestigious advanced driver training facility in the country. Her clients have included the FBI, DIA, AAA, police departments, the State Department, and the military, as well as drivers who simply wanted to improve their driving skill. Miriam is one of the Chief Instructors for the Audi Club and has been Chief Instructor for the Corvette Club, BMW Club, Mazda Club, Chief of Instructor Training for Porsche Club, Senior and Classroom Instructor for Ferrari of Washington and National Auto Sports Association as well as many others. Her story:

I have always loved the color gray. When I was 24 and living in Manhattan, a woman got on a bus and sat across from me. She was dressed in all gray, had grey hair. I thought she was beautiful. Then and there, I decided that when my hair turned gray, I, too, was going to wear nothing but gray.

Now that I am completely gray, that’s the only color for me. All my clothes are gray. My cat is gray. My whole apartment is gray and both my cars are gray. As a matter of fact, the license plate on my race car is GRY WLF. This matches my ID at the race track where I teach racing, car control and high performance driving.

I love being with all the men out at the race track where I am chief Instructor for many of the car clubs. It keeps me motivated to look the best I can. I also started my own company, “DriveLab” which keeps me very busy both out at the race track and giving driving seminars.

I don’t know why women begin the “Grandmother Role” when they turn gray. They chop their hair off, get fat and don’t take care of themselves. They fall into the trap that society has laid for them. Hey, not me! Why can’t we Grey Haired Women be sexy too? My advice: Eat right, stay out of the sun and work out at the gym to keep you strong, shapely and toned.

Gray women, do not give up! Work on being healthy, sexy and beautiful! It pays off.

  What’s your story?

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When American model Kristen McMenamy posed for Vogue Italia in August 2010 with her long gray hair, women were pleasantly surprised by the bold move.  Now McMenamy, 46, is yet again a Vogue Italia cover girl for their May 2011 swimwear supplement.

As described by StyleBistro, “McMenamy flaunts her enviable curves in a tribal print bikini… and proudly poses in her long, gray-white hair.”

McMenamy broke multiple stereotypes about age and gray hair when she posed for Vogue Italia last year, proving that a 45-year-old with a full head of gray is equally, if not more, stunning than a bottle-blond teenager.  Now she’s done it again, this time while revealing a bikini-ready body that puts teen and 20-something models to shame.

Vogue Italia has made a positive statement by putting McMenamy on the cover of its swimsuit supplement.  Beauty is ageless, and McMenamy is their proof.

"The blond did the work with an electric shaver," Carolyn said. We think both hairdressers did a fantastic job!

"They treated me like a queen!" Carolyn said of the service at Jean Louis David salon in Florence, Italy.

One of our readers recently found herself in beautiful Florence when she realized her hair was just “not working.”  Fortunately, Italy is a pretty perfect place to be when you’re having a bad hair day.

Carolyn went straight to a salon on the River Arno where two hairdressers expressed love for her gray hair.

“The blond did the work with an electric shaver, and the managers looked on and checked it all out before I left,” Carolyn said.  “They treated me like a queen!  They loved my hair!”

Carolyn said, “The more I think of this experience, I felt not like a 66-year-old white-haired woman, but just like a 24-year-old blond being doted over as young blonds get doted on each day.  I am not saying anything against young blonds ([I] was one once), but it is rare that I have this experience at this fantastic time in my life.”

“I love my silver platinum tresses!” she raves.

We think Carolyn’s new look is absolutely stunning.  Plus, how wonderful is it that her hairdressers complimented her gray hair?

If you have a story you’d like to share with the Going Gray community, go to the “Contact Us” section at GoingGrayBlog.com or send us a message via Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t forget to share your photos with us on Flickr!  Just join the Going Gray Blog group.

• World-renowned womanizer James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) puts himself in a woman’s shoes in this short by WeAreEquals.org, featuring the voice of one of our favorite gray-haired actresses, Judi Dench. •

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, and Going Gray Blog loves the 2011 theme, “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.”

Our blog’s tagline is “Celebrating the Right to Choose” because we believe in the woman’s prerogative to the same choices in life that men have.  Whether it is the option to go gray or the decision to pursue higher education, women deserve the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

If you’d like to take part, there are hundreds of events being hosted in the United States today in celebration of International Women’s Day and thousands all over the world.  Some events will take place online, including 24 hours of special radio programming at kboo.fm/listen.

To learn more about the history and events celebrating International Women’s Day, visit www.InternationalWomensDay.com or the United Nations page.

Before Black History Month ends, let’s remind ourselves of a few African American women of history whose inventions changed the face of hair care forever.

Madam C.J. Walker was America’s first female millionaire.  After she began losing her hair due to a common scalp ailment in the 1890s, Walker started to develop her own home remedies.  The entrepreneur traveled throughout the South, selling her unique products.  By late 1910, she’d opened her own factory, salons and a training school for “hair culturists” in Indianapolis.  She was both a businesswoman and an activist for civil rights.  Walker not only redefined the hair care and cosmetics industries, but she also set a precedent for what it means to be a self-made businesswoman in America.  You can learn more about Madam C.J. and her legacy by visiting her official biography site.

Marjorie Joyner met Madam Walker after becoming the first African American woman to graduate from A.B. Molar Beauty School in Chicago in 1916.  She eventually became the director of Walker’s beauty schools.  In 1926, Joyner started experimenting with pot roast rods in efforts to create a more permanent method of curling or straightening black hair.  Her permanent wave design was patented two years later and was hugely popular among black and white audiences.  Her invention let women set their hair as they wanted and keep it that way for days at a time.  Learn more about Joyner at About.com’s Inventors.

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Now, Lyda D. Newman did not invent the hair brush.  Those had existed long before.  But what she did invent in 1898 was a greatly improved version of the hair brush, which before then had bristles made of animal hair.  Newman’s design had synthetic bristles and air ventilation, which caught dust and other impurities as you brushed your hair.  Her brush was durable, easy to make and could be cleaned.  Could you imagine having to use a brush you couldn’t easily clean every once in a while?

Ever since Chris Rock’s documentary “Good Hair” opened, audiences all over the country were enraptured by the world of black hair, specifically whether naturally textured African American is beautiful.  While the controversy of whether black women ought to use relaxer or have weaves rages on, going gray has turned into a pleasantly surprising trend.

Here are five stunning African American celebrities who have let their hair go gray—and what they have to say about it.

Ruby Dee

In With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together, Ruby Dee recounted the first time she saw herself with gray hair:

“One night … while scurrying from activity to activity, the hair rose all over my body as, in the half-light, I encountered a white-haired creature coming directly at me, mouth open and garments flapping.  I stopped.  The creature stopped.  I turned, the creature turned.  It was I!”

Dee’s reaction was not sadness though.  Instead, she giggled and rushed to tell her husband, Ossie Davis.  She laughed and even cried with joy, writing, “that old lady in the mirror and I—we’d made it!  How lucky, how marvelous not to be dead yet.”  Dee made the decision to think about living a long life instead of “the permanently horizontal mode and intimations of mortality.”

Maya Angelou

This is what Maya Angelou, who made a comical appearance in “Good Hair,” had to say about aging during an interview with Oprah Winfrey:

“Though my hair has turned to gray and my skin no longer fits, on the inside, I’m the same old me, it’s the outside’s changed a bit.”

The poem, called “My Younger Days” or “Don’t Break the Elastic,” also pokes fun at other symbols of aging such as weight change, eyesight deterioration and most importantly, all that one has learned.

Toni Morrison

In 2008, Toni Morrison sent President Barack Obama a letter that signified her endorsement for his presidential run.  In sharing her thought process, she wrote the following:

“In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don’t see in other candidates.  That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom.  It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age.  Or if we call searing vision naivete.  Or if we believe cunning is insight.  Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it.  Wisdom is a gift; you can’t train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace—that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom.”

Morrison’s endorsement letter touches on the importance of overlooking age, race, the presence of gray hair and more.  (Of course, since becoming president, Obama’s hair has gone a bit gray after all.)

Camille Cosby

The cover story of a 1989 issue of Jet was titled, “Bill and Camille Cosby Discuss the Secrets of Living a Better Life.”  After three of her children had already left for college, with two more college-bound, Camille Cosby became more involved in the business and philanthropic endeavors of the Cosbys.  Robert E. Johnson wrote, “The beautiful wife, mother and philanthropist/businesswoman has reached a turning point in which she is not afraid to be herself in pursuit of a better life.”  Part of being herself meant the then-recent decision to go gray. She said:

“I needed the freedom.  I need the freedom to define myself.  …  When I began to gray, I had only two of our five babies.  My husband called it premature (gray) and he said I should leave it alone.  …  Gray hair freed me.  When we play to the demands of others, we are putting through our heads what we think they want  …  When we are freed from that, we are free to move on the job of defining ourselves.”

Whoopi Goldberg

Whether you enjoy her “view” or not, Whoopi Goldberg’s confidence and voice has made her a household name.  Goldberg’s dreads have occasionally exhibited some gray, but it’s her past comments about hair that steal the show.  During a discussion about “Good Hair” on “The View,” she made a strong statement that the reason black women straighten their hair is because they want more manageable hair, not because they want to look white.  Race in America is a common topic for Goldberg.  In the ’80s, one of her recurring characters in her comedy shows was a young African American girl who longed to be be white and to have long blond hair.

Goldberg’s character called out a key issue in “Good Hair” decades before Rock’s documentary debuted.  At the start of the film, Rock explained the event that prompted him to investigate the world of African American haircare.  It was the time his young daughter approached him and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” even though she did.

By Hula in Portland

We are so excited about the upcoming release of the new e-book, Color Me Gray: Inspirational Stories from Women Gone Gray. The stories and photographs featured in the e-book are personal journeys, experiences and musings by women who have made the choice to stop coloring their hair.

One of the contributors, Libbe HaLevy has been kind enough to share a bit of her story below!

Great Gray

by Libbe HaLevy, M.A., CAC

My first gray hair – one – appeared when I was 16. I considered it such a novelty, I wouldn’t let my mother pull it out. I referred to it as my “strawberry blond” hair and proudly showed it off to friends.

In my 20’s, that hair was joined with a few others sprouting from the same part of my head. A bit of a streak formed. Again, no big deal.

But in my 40’s, the speed with which I was graying out scared me: I wasn’t that old! So I fell for the prevalent societal conditioning and started coloring hair for the first time ever, despite my aversion to placing harsh chemicals anywhere near my body. I carried it off until menopause changed my skin quality and color. Suddenly, the flat dark brown hair-cap on my head took on a harsh look. And my resistance to putting those chemicals smack against my scalp led me to delay the monthly coloring for longer and longer, leading to larger and larger stripes of what looked like pure white in an ever-increasing strip of “skunk hair.”

Finally, in my early-50’s, I’d had it. Who was I trying to fool? I went to my hairdresser and had him cut everything real short, so I showed hair that was 50/50 dark and white. For a month, I just pretended I’d had an expensive process done to “tip” my hair in that way. By my next haircut, all the black was gone – and I suddenly found myself wearing a beautiful, spiky silver cloud around my head! I’d never dyed my hair blond or done highlights, so this was my first experience with light-colored hair. I loved it!

Even better than the look was the feel. I’d forgotten what unadulterated hair felt like, how soft, pliant and luxurious. I enjoyed running my hands through it and feeling an animal-like pelt instead of dry cotton candy.

Then I started getting unsolicited comments of support. Other women called me “brave,” “stylish,” “daring.” Many said they couldn’t possibly give up their coloring, which gave me an opportunity to tell them that of course they could! – thus planting a little seed of societal rebellion.

These days, the natural gray look is becoming more common. I often comment to other women I see who have done the same and we bond, if only for a moment, over our shared hair aesthetic. I do believe that the key to making this work is having a great cut in a modern style. I spike my hair with various forms of goop and have fun schmushing it around. I feel the resulting look represents my self-confidence, comfort with my age, and an underlying hipness I’ve never lost.

As a life coach, internet business consultant and the founder of IncestSurvivorHealing.com, gray hair works in my favor. People trust me. They know at a glance that I’ve lived more than a few years (they should only know…!) and am not afraid to embrace what I’ve learned in all those years as a plus, not a minus. One high-end Hollywood stylist I met at a media seminar took me aside and said, “When I saw your hair I thought, ‘There is a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.’”

That’s my message. Truth in advertising. Love the gray hair!

Libbe HaLevy, M.A., CAC

Communications and Creativity Expert

www.WriteYourBrainsOut.com

Info@WriteYourBrainsOut.com

A few great reads from here and there! Check them out!

• Skin Care Made Easy (and Cheap!) from The Best of Everything After 50
• 10 Reasons to go gray – From Maggie Crane.com
• Learning to Live Authentically – From Brenda Bartella Peterson
• When the Going Gets Tough…Laugh – From Darylle Pollack

Women…. Who made ‘em?  God must have been a… genius.  Their hair.  They say that the hair is everything, you know?  Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls, and just wanted to go to sleep forever?  ~Bo Goldman, “The Start of an Education”

There’s nothing more alluring than the sight of a woman with the confidence to wear her gray hair with pride.  After all, you earned every one of those beautiful silver locks, so why not flaunt it?

John Slattery Photo courtesy of Talking to Air

Think about it this way, how much sexier is George Clooney now that he rocks his gray?  Mad Men’s John Slattery wouldn’t be nearly as enticing if he weren’t the silver-haired fox that he is.  While we’ve been a slave to “looking younger” since we were young, being bold enough to go gray is a symbol of confidence and beauty, so flaunt it. After all, not everyone can have naturally gray hair.

*photo courtesy of Talking to Air