Redhead Pride

"Scotland has the highest percentage of natural redheads, with 13 percent. Ireland is a close second, with 10 percent. Only about 2 percent of people in the United States have naturally red hair."

I talk a lot about being a red head. It's probably annoying but it is part of my identity and frankly if you aren't a red head you just wouldn't understand. Being a red head or "ginger" as some call it is a package deal. You get the hair, the freckles, the sunburns, and the distinction of being the token red head pretty much anywhere you go. The other night I was at a party and two other red heads were there.  It was an incredible scene and made me realize how rare it is to see a red head, an actual red head. No, people with brown hair that turns slightly red in the summer do not count. I hate when people say that almost as much as I hate people that  can't merge correctly on 66. But I digress...

Being a red head wasn't something I was always proud of. As a kid I was called "Carrot Top" or "Red" and was really sensitive about it. Like any other young kid I wanted to fit in. I wanted to have brown hair and brown eyes like everyone else. Now it's different.  Would I like to to be able to go for a run without wearing SPF 80? Sure. By the way, I think the whole SPF think is BS. As long as you're wearing SPF 25 or higher and reapply a few times it doesn't matter what you buy. It's like buying a diet Coke with a quarter pound cheeseburger and fries. Same result, different name.

Being a red head means only getting a "tan" when your freckles come together after a long day in the sun or in a dark bar. It means wearing sun block when it's raining. It means being "the red head" anywhere you go. But you need to embrace it. I always joke that red heads are their own race, but in a way we are our own people.  I can go a whole week without seeing a Ginger.  By the way I don't think red heads should be allowed to go bald. Why give us the hair if we are just going to lose it? Genetics suck sometimes.

People need to embrace what makes them different. Everyone has something that separates themselves from someone else. Whether it be personality, interests, talents, looks, etc. embrace your uniqueness because being average just leaves you as another number.