You need to write your story

If you came across this and thought "AMA EDIAM? What sort of name is that?" You're right. It's not a name, it's an acronym describing my situation at this moment in time.

I am AMA EDIAM.. Almost Middle-Aged ED&I Account Manager. That's how I would introduce myself to the readers here because this is my material. This is the story, the life experience behind a blog I chose to call "A Good Day to Cover My Greys," not because I am seeking to promote some hair colouring brand.. Nah, far from it. Sorry for the disappointment if Google's algorithm misdirected you in this way. I chose this name because it marks the moment of inspiration behind starting this blog. It was actually on an early autumn day when everything seemed to line up perfectly to allow me the serene moments of covering these front grey hairs which have been begging for attention over the last couple of years.

Being a huge fan of Virginia Woolf, I fell in love with her writing technique, carefully crafting the narrative around these flashes or moments of epiphany.. the stream-of-consciousness technique. I remember more than 2 decades back a lot of my colleagues at uni complaining about how complex it is to follow and understand with no chronological order of events. Not ideal when you have 10 other novels to read. Studying literature exposes you to all styles, and even if you are someone who is totally obsessed with poetic language like myself, you approach texts with the essay-writing mentality. A simple plot with a clear timeline can help. Somehow, however, I was captivated by how true to reality this writing style is. That's how memory works, that's how we gather our own narrative and weave our personal stories.. in cinematic edits, with one flashback after the other we recollect life's takeaways, the moments that moved us, the situations that shaped us, the people we met along the way, our most treasured victories and our most painful ordeals. 

So there I was, waking up that morning and the first thing I thought to myself as I looked in the bathroom mirror is, "It's a good day to cover my greys." And a stream of consciousness took off. How did I get here? How come I am almost middle-aged and there are so many things I am still trying to figure out? My younger self expected me to have it all sorted out by now. Did I let her down? Or have I actually exceeded her expectations? Or better yet, created a totally different life path that she could have never imagined? As I parted my hair section by section, touching the roots with my usual golden brown colour and feeling this cool sensation on my scalp, many flashes were rushing through my mind. And when it was time to start the shower to wash it all off, it suddenly hit me.. the number of times I have been told, "You need to write your story." Why haven't I done that yet? What am I waiting for? Until my head has all turned grey?

I do have a story to tell. Definitely biography-worthy. And that's the verdict of the few people who got to hear it, or rather parts of it. These parts were rich enough to make them all suggest, or rather demand, that it should be written down for everybody out there to get the chance to learn it.. Maybe learn from it, as it is educational material indeed. And as you will learn, if you decide to follow this blog, there are 2 things I am super passionate about.. education and inspiring women to reach their potential. 

Oh yes, I forgot to say that I am a woman. Probably you have already guessed this by now. And my story begins in Egypt, where women and girls barely have the right to dream, secretly, with fear always lurking to turn every dream into a nightmare.

I'll stop here now to celebrate this moment of actually starting to act on an idea which kept simmering from autumn till winter, as we start the countdown to the end of 2022. The storytelling has begun! Thanks to the lovely listeners who encouraged me to take this step.