Red

I do not hate this color at all.  In fact, I think it is quite beautiful.  But it certainly gave me much pain for several years.

I have red hair.

My parents have black hair.  So does Maria.  

No one, and I do mean no one else, has red hair in my family.  

Why is that all famous orphans have red hair?  Annie, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer have red hair.  I’ve even seen Oliver played by people with strawberry blonde hair.  Why do they all have red hair?

It was a cause of concern for me.  Was I an orphan?

My mother and father reassured me I was not, but it wasn’t like you could explain the birds and the bees to an almost three year old.  And my dad had some kind of joke about it.  It goes like this…

“Do you know why Kara has red hair?” And the unassuming person says, "Why?" And my dad says, “Because I was a little rusty.”

EEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!

I get that joke now.  I didn’t get it when I was younger, thank God!

Anyway, my red hair was absolutely one of the more tragic things in my life.  First of all, no dolls were made with red hair.  Second, it was thick and coarse and impossible to tame.  And third, it was the color of carrots.

How horrifying. Carrots. 

When Anne Shirley slammed her slate home, I cheered her on. She and I are truly kindred spirits.