From getting praised by adults for being “unique,” to being made fun of in school, being a redhead can be a curse and a blessing. When I was a little girl, I was always confused with why my hair was orange. People used to ask me, “Where did that color come from, Miss Molly?” And I always replied: “The pumpkin patch,” because I knew that pumpkins were orange, and I sincerely thought my hair became orange from the pumpkin patch we visited every Halloween. After all these years, I’ve learned to embrace it and all the jokes that come with it. For all those gingers, day-walkers, and red-heads, here’s a list of 10 things that have most likely happened in your lifetime.
1. When you see redheaded children, your friends think it’s your child.
We’ve all gotten that text or snapchat from a friend saying, “Look, it’s your kid!” with an attached photo of a kid with red hair.
2. You’re told you’re either a day-walker, or not.
Redheads are either a straight up ginger, or a day-walker (a redhead with no freckles.)
3. You’ve been told you have no soul.
Thank you, South Park. And you too, “GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS,” guy on YouTube.
4. Older people love you.
Growing up, elderly people always compliment your hair color and tell you how rare it is.
5. You’ve been told multiple times to marry another ginger to raise your chances of having redheaded kids.
(To prevent redheads from going extinct, of course. No pressure.)
6. You always make eye contact with other gingers.
You either hit it off right away with other redheads, or there’s a sense of competition between you. It’s hard not to compare yourself to someone who has red hair like you.
7. You get jealous when your friends start hanging out with other gingers.
Um, excuse me… There’s only room for one redheaded best friend in your life.
8. When you walk into a hair salon, you’re asked if your hair is natural, and then told to never dye it, ever.
You get used to hearing, “Is that your natural hair color?” and, “All my clients have been trying to dye their hair that exact same color!”
9. You’ve been called names, and have been the target of multiple ginger jokes.
Let’s just say that middle school was rough.
10. You have to put on sunscreen every time you do outdoor activities.
Your mom is right. Even if there’s a cloud cover, or you’ll only be in direct sunlight for a couple of minutes, you will most likely get a sunburn. And hats are a MUST in the sun.