While you may not think so, being a redhead is actually very different from being a blonde, or a brunette. I have always had a love/hate relationship with my hair but the older I get the more I realize that it does have its perks. Growing up with red hair meant there was no shortage of name calling, insults, and my least favorite line "gingers don't have souls" thanks to the animated sitcom South Park.

I was the only redhead in my immediate family so when my older siblings weren't too happy with me, they would try to convince me I had been adopted, that was always fun. My red hair was accompanied by my incredibly pale skin and the inability to do anything other than burn while at the beach. You'd think I'd be safe under an umbrella but that's not true either. Although, the more I'm in the sun, the more my freckles stand out. This means when enough of them start to show and blend together I can actually pass for being "kind of tan" (not really, though). I've heard some unusual rumors that some people believe, one being that because I am a redhead I tend to have a lower pain tolerance than most other people, while I disagree with that claim it is true that anesthetics don't work on me. I noticed this when I was getting my first cavity filled and the Novocain didn't actually numb anything, and again when I broke my arm and before surgery the doctors had trouble putting me to sleep, all thanks to my fiery locks. I actually think it's quite interesting, and being a redhead really isn't all that bad. Celebrating St. Patrick's day is always incredibly fun as a redhead, it's no secret that I'm Irish. Even when I hated my hair that was one day a year I really loved showing it off.

Without a doubt I was blessed with the fiery temper that everyone seems to talk about. With the red hair comes the sarcastic and sassy personality that I couldn't hide even if I wanted to. I'm just lucky that my friends and family think its charming because I know that there are times I can be hard to handle.

Growing up I spent a lot of time hating my hair, and even threatening to dye it. My parents, on the other hand, would never allow me to do such a thing. I have heard my entire life "Don't worry, you may not like it now but when you get older you'll love it. So many people wish they could have your hair color." I didn't realize how true that was until women started asking me what box color I used, and they always seemed so disappointed when I told them it was natural. The older I get the more I love my hair, and I'm sad to say its already shades darker than it used to be. I would do anything to get the bright red hair I had as a child back because I appreciate it so much more now. I love knowing that I'm a little bit different, and I'm very proud to be a redhead.