Do I know you?

It was just a regular day of school. I woke up, got ready, and went out the door. As I was making my way through campus, I noticed someone walking on a parallel sidewalk from me. This person looked different from other students. There was just something about them that just didn't seem ordinary. Nevertheless, I continued and made my way to class. 

As the day went on, I couldn't shake the image of this person. What was so different about this one person? Then it hit me. It was their shiny, copper-red hair!

For several weeks, my curiosity drove me crazy! Finally, I got the courage to ask them if their hair color was real. I went up and said, "Excuse me, is your hair color, I mean the copper in your hair, is it natural?" They looked at me with a kind of confused look and said, "Well, I wish it was, but sadly I get it dyed on a bimonthly schedule by my hairstylist." I stood there with my mouth open in utter amazement. "How does your hairstylist make it look so realistic?" I asked. They looked at me, raised their eyebrows, and said, "Good question. My hairstylist makes custom coloring that is approved by me before it even touches my hair." I stood there just in awe of a process that I had never heard of before. "How expensive is it?" I asked hesitantly. The ginger-headed person looked at me and said, "It's more affordable than you think." In that instant, the lightbulb came on in my head.

For the longest time, I wanted to look like my ginger-headed French and Irish ancestors, and now I had my solution. Though not permanent, I could look like them for a period of time and feel somewhat connected. I mustered my courage and decided to get my hair dyed. 

When it was all dried and done, I looked in the mirror. I was astonished. I turned and asked the dresser, "Who is that sitting in my chair?" She said, "Um, that's you." I turned my head, and with a semi-snarky voice, I muttered, "There ain't no way that I could look like this."

How does wanting to look like my ancestors turn into an identity crisis to the point where you don't even recognize yourself? One simple thing, your hair.

By: Gabriel Sanders