Curly Hair

It's hard to be a redhead in this day and age. Selina spoke out against this once and I feel like it's a post that every redhead needs to do at some stage.

I have by no means had as much trouble as she had. It wasn't until I was about 12 or 13 that people bullied me specifically because of my hair colour, but I was always thought of as different or strange before that. It didn't help that I was a very strong child and determined not to bend or to conform.

But specifically in the first years of high school I was taunted and shouted at. "Ginger" is a very common insult here and now even when people use it very casually I can't really stand it. It's really stupid how it works. They shout at you "Ginger" as you walk past, as if you don't realise your own colour of your hair, as if it's some kind of insult to the human race that you don't try and cover it with hair dye or just scurry into a hole and pretend you don't exist.

It is no better than racism in my opinion, and it lead me to feel uncomfortable about myself. I did not feel that I was ugly, I always knew that they were stupid and infantile and immature, but all bullying leaves its mark. I will never feel normal. I will always be different, independent, separate. However, it's almost nicer that way. I knew that they boy I would find would be perfect. He would love me for what I was and appreciate me, whilst the rest of my peer group kissed frog after frog and were left with nothing. It has also lead me down the track away from vanity in a lot of respects. I would not have excelled so much academically otherwise, perhaps.

Of course it was not as bad for me and it is for Selina. The prejudice against redheads only really exists in a certain age group, those that are beginning high school and incredibly insecure in themselves. Now, if I ever hear it, I actually laugh at the little dweebs. Despite what they may think, from everyone elses' point of view, they are so very not cool.

Really what got me thinking about this is how my hair is curly, and how for so many years I have straightened it obsessively because it really does look more sleek and more fashionable. The 2000s really, really do not appreciate natural curls.

However, recently, I have come to really enjoy letting my hair run wild. Sometimes I even leave my fringe alone (even in these pictures my fringe is strengthened, it's usually just tiny ringlets above my forehead). I sort of feel like it's beautiful in my own way and I really like that, because it means that I have truly accepted the true red head that I am.