From a redhead

by Doesn't Wear Shorts
(Dublin, Ireland)

I think school is an entire battlefield of teasing experiences - I think everyone I know went through it in some way or another, either in primary school or high school and sometimes even college. Actually, I think we get it our whole lives in some form or another! The hard part is that we don't know how to cope with it when we're young and think that there is no other life/worth outside of school.

I was never really full-on teased specifically for being a redhead in school, more for my awkward looks/shape that you deal with when hitting puberty and are growing into a person. When I noticed being different, it was times when my friends had golden tans (I had sunburns/'red' tan), my freckles multiplied, and the sheer whiteness of my legs in shorts (I kissed those goodbye for years). To this day, I don't think I'm ever fully comfortable in a skirt without some type of pantyhose, or will prefer capri's over shorts.

As a young teenager I went through a phase of wanting to dye my hair, and at one point I went completely blonde for almost a year. Afterwards, I was so happy to have my natural red hair back and now would never consider being that extreme again. (The grass is always greener on the other side, as it seems..)

I was lucky I think because my eyebrows/eyelashes were more of a brown instead of ginger, and as a teenager I got complimented on my skin/hair and I actually felt very special instead of an outcast. Now that I'm in my twenties, I can see some of the 'orange-ness' of my red hair going and dulling into more of an auburn and it makes me really sad! I love being a redhead - it makes me feel unique and special, and anytime I ever see another redhead I always notice how gorgeous they look with the striking hair/skin tone (perhaps I'm biased!). I wish I could have embraced that feeling more when I was younger, but I think it's just part of the process of getting older and accepting who you are and liking yourself (which does actually happen... people told me that for years and I didn't believe it; still a work in progress though).

Teasing is a part of life - I see that now and I also see that you'll always get a hard time for something, no matter what age you are. There are always people around you who will make you try and feel bad about yourself for something. If it's not for being a redhead, it's for something else. I think you just have to allow time and experience to help you be happy with who you are and accept things that you can't change and be proactive about things you can. I can remember teasing other kids as a child, and for nothing significant either, and I know firsthand that it was purely out of insecurity and immaturity.

Now I live in Ireland where there are plenty of other redheads and pale skinned people! It's great :)

On a side note, I hate it when guys are asked, "Do you prefer Blondes or Brunettes?" Um, hello, what about Redheads?? Makes me feel like one of the mutants from X-Men. (Ok, not really...)