Over the years I have always wondered why older women needed to draw on their eyebrows, with one remembered great aunt in particular getting the drawn-on masterpieces nowhere near where her original eyebrows had once resided. Now it has all become clear to me in one of the continuing surprises of old age. This is a spoiler alert for those under sixty, so read on at your peril.
After a certain age, one’s eyebrows simply began to fall out. In my own case, while disappearing, they are not completely gone, although I suppose at some point they will cease to exist. But they will not be gone completely as they have simply migrated, by some horrible joke of nature, to my chin. At the moment, with my glasses on, I can fill in the missing items with an eyebrow pencil in what I hope is the right spot. I am helped in that some of the original body part is still there to guide me. However, what will happen in the future when the eyes have failed and there is no dotted line to follow with the brandished pencil? I shudder to think.
However, upon reflection I have come up with one bright spot in all of this. I realize now how important my eyebrows were over the years in my interaction with society. There was the slightly raised eyebrow with no comment when someone made an outlandish statement, or two raised eyebrows at the child across the room who thought their misbehavior beyond my reach. I will be able in the near future to draw on the eyebrows I wish to have for the day. I am thinking the best thing at my age, might be permanently raised brows indicating a constant state of surprise at what goes on around me.