I get a little of that myself. I've been growing my hair out for charity in memory of a friend and former colleague who lost a 5-year battle with colon cancer. In addition, I've really made the 'fun suppressor' angry by participating in "no shave November" ... and conveniently extending it into "don't shave December". So in addition to the ponytail, I'm also rocking a month's worth of facial hair.

It's a drastically different look than my pre-retirement "professional" look, and if you're able to give it a go, I highly recommend trying this once just for the social perception aspect of it all. Long-time acquaintances (not friends) and neighbors all treat you differently, even if it's subtle. The 180 degree "I'm judging you, scumbag" look that gets eviscerated when you drop into the Jaguar would make for an excellent psychology paper for a grad student in that area of study.

 

I think this whole slightly saddening thread would be meat, potatoes and gravy for any psychologist worth his/her salt.

 

My avatar's light sabre looks pretty pathetic compared to yours.

I have a severe case of light sabre envy. A psychologist might make something of that as well.

 

OK soooo where do I get a light sabre? Maybe I could collect them? Are there any low production models I should concentrate my efforts on? I don't think a psychologist would find this very interesting at all.

 

OK, ya got me. Asked and answered - I don't have a shrink but it has been suggested that I am compensating for an unusually small spare wheel

 

I thought it was just the Ferrari guys that had this problem.

 

The response I get owning an XK was completely unexpected. The sales guy at the Honda dealer I bought it from was wanting to know what I thought of different stocks, should he buy this one or, that one. I had no idea what I was getting into in buying an XK. I am into older cars myself, and consider newer cars to be a bit bland, and boring. If I weren't so tall, I'd rather have an XK8.

I do however, think my car certainly does reflect certain aspects of myself. I have always been one to find the unconventional solution, so in my search for a daily driver I would not have to work on, with a moderate buy price, I ended up with a used Jaguar instead of a new Mazda or Ford.(my second choice and third choice). While the new car offers a warranty, the Jaguar looked like it would require less work, the new car might need frequent warranty work.

But to make a point, consider two different thirty year old persons that both drive a high mileage 1995 metallic gray Honda Civic with a worn and faded gray cloth interior.

Person A: Received the car as a gift from their parents at age 16, used it to move from party to party, parents paid for him to go to college, but he dropped out as he couldn't keep his grades up and party at the same time. Time has moved on, and beers and clubbing is where all the money he has gone that he has earned from drifting from job to job. He laments every time it needs maintenance, and how broke it leaves him for weeks, states he wishes he had a newer/nicer car that would not leave him broke like this.

Person B: Worked through their teenage years, bought a used generic civic that they could afford with the cash they saved up at age 18. Went to college on a scholarship, got a good job, saved up enough money to quit that job and start their own successful real estate rental company. They continue to drive the civic, and maintain it, as its cheaper than car payments, and buying a new car would take money they could invest in their own business instead.

Both Person A and B will drive the civic until it finally croaks. Person A will be taking a bus at that time, Person B will get another generic car.

Only through the lens of knowing the person, does what they drive come into focus.

 

Its only a certain set that disapprove or find it scary. The white/gray/black pattern is a real hit with those that would rather do something fun; instead of drinking alcohol, going shopping, and taking selfies as their primary hobbies.

I consider it to be a good filter of people I wouldn't normally get along with anyway, and it saves us both the bother. However, as a southerner, its still my habit to say hi to anyone, and engage in fifteen minute + conversations with strangers I may pass no matter what they look like.

I'm curios as to your age? I believe there is an inverse bell curve of acceptance of scruffy looking/long hair. It doesn't really effect what people think of young people, nor some one of white haired age. I think there might be different expectations towards someone 30-70 than 16-20 or 70+. I prefer a low maintenance tight cut, as it lets me stay at work for a few days in a row without looking like I did so.

I completely shaved my head prior to letting everything grow out for almost a year. I'm a slow grower, so even with a year, I couldn't make a pony tail. The biggest difference was the recently shaved head. I now fully understand why people who go through Chemo wear hats. People stare with a sad/guilty look of pity. It was a similar experience to when I had an accident and couldn't move very well under my own power, and was brought through a crowd as a young person in a wheel chair.

 

My lightsaber is really a Harmonica.

 

I started a new job in August and luckily it's only 3 miles from home Anyone familiar with the Greater Toronto Area can attest to what a commuting luxury that is. I live about 25 miles outside of downtown and when I used to work down there, I never drove the XKR to work. Too far and too many idiot drivers. Now that I am closer to work, I drive it in whenever the weather allows.

So I recently found out that my new colleagues thought I was independently wealthy and that I must be working only to avoid boredom. (I wish!).

There are Porsches and BMWs in the lot but my XKR was discussed as being in a different league.... that's fine, but I'm still not buying your lunch Beemer Boy! (Lol)

 

Ok, while we're hijacking threads with light sabre stories, here's mine. At the Hollywood Bowl a couple months back to see John Williams (composer of Star Wars score as well as hundreds of others), and apparently it's "traditional" to bring your light sabre to the concert (unbeknownst to us). We were seemingly the only two people out of the 16000 at the bowl that night without them. I won't make that mistake again.

 

This is the point I am trying to drive home to my wife, who is struggling with guilt for owning a Jag KX. We just bought ours 2 days ago - 2007 XK convertible, and she was commenting several times last night about feeling guilty about driving up to work in it. She works at a bedroom community (of Memphis) nursing home as the director of rehab. The nurses and CNTs all appear to live paycheck to paycheck, and she's worried about them all feeling jealous or envious of her. I told her, "if anyone makes any kind of comment approaching that subject, just ask them what they paid for THEIR car. Because I'll bet the majority of them paid more than the $13,500 we just paid for this."

 

That's an easy fix GS2000, you drive the XK, she won't be embarrassed and you will be exhilarated.

 

Saying how much you paid isn't really going to to do much. Most people just won't believe you, in their mind, its an unaffordable car.

Part of it also, it isn't exactly how much you bought it for, but that its less practical, and might be more expensive if something goes wrong. I could get a Maserati for less than the XK, but I'd have to have much deeper pockets to do anything with it other than put it on display.

Even if it isn't an expensive car, its not something some one would likely choose as their only car, so its best to factor in that other car and the XK.

An XK just isn't gonna cut it for a do-it-all general purpose family vehichle, and so it implies that the owner has other vehicles beyond their "toy car". (If they aren't single.) if a person doesn't have extra toy vehicles, even if that toy vehicle isn't unobtaniumly priced, its still something they "couldn't" afford, as they needed the purpose of the mini-van or SUV, even if that mini-van or SUV cost its owner more than you paid for the XK. Its about more than the price of the car being driven, its also about being able to afford an extra vehichle with its primary purpose being something other than hauling the kids or stuff.

So the price you paid for your XK is only part of the equation, its the price they paid for their Mini-Van or SUV + the price of an XK on top of that. That is what counts when money gets involved if they need the SUV/Mini-Van for their life needs.

 

Exactly, it is not as expensive as they think. Certainly telling them that it was not a huge investment can reduce the jealousy factory.

Like Turveran said though, the reality is most paycheck-to-paycheck people would not have the wherewithal to afford the potential issues that could happen on these cars. Paying $13,500 for a 9 year old "high-end to them" used car is not as safe as buying a $30,000 car on payments that has a full warranty.

I had more than one person tell me in my BMW 650 that they would love to trade cars with me, usually at the gas station. I always said the same thing, just a quick joke, "only if you take the payments with you". This as I hate snobs or condescending types, the reality was I had no payments. I guess I like to give the impression I struggle also...

 

I'm 58 and still blessed with a very thick head of blond hair. The Christmas whiskers have some gray in them, but it's nothing more than genetics that our family gray's later than most. I've got pictures of my Dad (who's 88 now and finally silver) holding our son as a newborn (he's 24 now) and his hair is still jet black. This will probably be my last round of growing it for charity as most won't take donated hair with any gray in it, and Pantene will only take up to 10% gray. I'll make that cut-line for sure, but it's time to return to a more age-appropriate hairstyle for the duration.

Here are some before and after pics from my last donation to put it in perspective. Be kind, fellas.

 

Lucky *******

Good on you for the hair donations!