You know that line in the last Twilight book, “Breaking Dawn”, where Bella says after her transformation into vamp,  ”It was like I was born to be a vampire”?

That is exactly how I felt when I became a redhead.

Granted, I was born a blonde, but I now believe I was really meant to be a redhead all along.

Even though I had a common hair color, I always felt different. I’ve never really felt like I fit in anywhere, and I always felt like a square peg.  I wanted to break out, and be different, but I was always scared to do so.  Being blonde led me to be able to just mix in with the rest of the world, and to never really stand out.  Don’t get be wrong, I know some amazing fierce blondes who really know how to work their blonde-ness (HELLO, Marilyn!)!  But that wasn’t who I was, and I could never put my finger on why I felt so different.

It was my hair stylist who dropped subtle hints that I should go red (she is a FIERCE redhead; with killer style to match).

I thought, “Me? A redhead? No way!”

After a lot of thought, four months ago I decided to change my hair color for the first time in 37 years and go Red! I was so excited to finally let my inner (and outer) redhead come out.

I was warned I would get a lot of attention, but that was the understatement of the century!  I would walk into a grocery store and had cashiers compliment me on my hair and I was even stopped on the street by strangers.  And the best part was that I have received more attention from men in the last four months than I ever did as my years as a blonde.

I no longer felt like I am ‘just another random person’ and I love being noticed. I recently had a friend tell me that not only did my hair color change, but so did my attitude.  I am more confident and smile more! 

Although I am enjoying the compliments and my new look, I finally learned to embrace being different. As a blonde, I was able to be a bit of a wallflower, but when being a redhead forces you to stand out- whether you like it or not.  By being forced to stand out, I was able to gain a newfound confidence that I didn’t know I had in me. I am not afraid of attention anymore and I am not afraid of being different.  I embrace who I am, and I am proud of it.  Becoming a redhead, by far, is the best thing to happen to me in a very long time, and I am having the time of my life!

By: Kirsten As a little girl, I was (as most redheads were) teased relentlessly, called “carrot top”, “fire ….” and even “flaming cow” when I was 13 and likely weighed in at 90lbs.  In high school I cursed my hair as I was always caught when doing something wrong by being called out because of my red hair when there

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Just like last year, this year’s 69th Golden Globes did us redheads proud! Who was your favorite? VOTE NOW.