I’m a redhead once again! I’ve not felt like it for the past seven months—but I decided last Thursday it was time, time to reclaim my life.
I’m not a natural redhead, so I became a redhead from a bottle. In fact, over the last seven months, I noticed a strong growth of white hair around my face—not a lot sprinkled elsewhere, but some! I inherited my dark hair color from my mom and grandmother and our German roots.
My Family History
My dad was a redhead, so much so his nickname as a young man was “Red.” I never knew him as a redhead because his hair had thinned out and changed to a brown speckled with some gray. I learned about this nickname years later from one of his friends.
My half-sister and half-brother both were redheads, and I always admired their hair color growing up!
First Time a Redhead
In May 2007, Kathi Raver, Lin’s deceased wife, Lin, Ted and I were at a square and round dance festival in Norfolk, Nebraska. The morning after the festival, we had a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant, rivaling in the fun memories of the weekend and were standing in line to pay.
Kathi noticed a woman in line ahead of us and said to me with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, “Go ask that woman what color she uses. You would look good with that color hair.”
I looked at the woman’s flaming red hair and felt a nudge inside, so I walked up to her, and asked what color she used—”Hot Tamale by Garnier Nutrisse.” I shared this information with Kathi when I returned and tucked it away.
At that point in my life, I hadn’t reconsidered coloring my hair. I had been a beautician for fourteen years before I became a teacher. I experimented regularly with coloring my hair. In fact, I volunteered to be the first to have my hair “frosted” in Beauty School only to end up with a green cast to my frost.
For many years, I bleached out the “frame” around my face and experimented with a variety of shades of color, from silver to pink. Right before my best friend’s wedding, I “framed” my face with red—fire engine red, and it horrified her when she saw me because my maid-of-honor dress was peach, and I was to wear a peach hat. What a clashing color combination that was!
So, I came home from Nebraska and pondered the possibility but didn’t do anything immediately. In June or July, I went to Colorado to visit my mom and told her about the idea. She always loved to do adventurous things with her hair, so we did it.
When I came home a redhead, Ted’s only comment was, “So you did it!” I continued coloring my hair until October or November and decided it was too much work.
Second Time a Redhead
Fast forward to 2013. My mom passed away in March, and in the summer, I needed an uplift—I remembered the “Hot Tamale” color and went for it. I loved the new me in the mirror and I received lots of compliments. It felt right!
Garnier Nutrisse did away with “Hot Tamale” a few years ago, so I changed to “Red Hibiscus” and have loved it ever since.
I continued coloring my hair until July, 2024 when the dog viciously attacked me. To say the less—I focused on recovering and making it through another day. At first, I couldn’t stand easily and used a cane. Then it just slipped past me. In fact, it was too much to do in my mind with all the doctor’s appointments and the pain.
About 4-5 months after the dog attack, someone asked me, “Where’s the redhead?”
I said, “She’s dead.” I really felt that vivacious, energetic person I had been for so many years had died.
A week ago Friday a good friend, Cindy Gillette, asked me, “Where’s the redhead?” That’s all she knew me as. I told her about my earlier response, but I was feeling more like a red head again.
After pondering it for a few days, I decided it was time. So, last Thursday, Lin (my hearty assistant) and I colored my hair. The redhead is back! I look in the mirror and love what I see! I know in my heart-of-hearts—I’m a redhead!
So, what does that mean?
Am I totally healed? Yes, the wound has been healed for a few months, but I still struggle with nerve damage pain. I’ve had five injections in my ankle and leg with little relief. Next Wednesday, I see the pain management doctor and he’s going to do two trigger point injections in my knee and butt because the pain radiates up from my ankle to my butt. I also have an appointment at the end of March for another three injections in my ankle. We have no idea what the prognosis is.
No, I’m not totally healed, but this redhead can hear her dad saying, “Take the bulls by the horns. Don’t let the SBs win! Drink a lot of ice water and stay in there. Quitters never win and winners never quit.” You can see my ole cowboy dad was full of what he thought were motivational sayings.
Yes, today I agree with Dad—no matter what—I have to be true to myself, keep going and for now—that means being a redhead!
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