… my hair. What were you thinking? Anyway, over Christmas break I made a big change. I dyed my hair black and it has made such a difference in the way that I act. The idea of people dyeing their hair in my family isn’t really well respected. I think of it as a fun way to express yourself without it being that way permanently, but my grandmother looks at it as if I’m straying away from my family. The black hair was so dramatic; it caused a shock wave to my family. They never thought that I, a little “goody two shoes,” would ever do something so “out there.” It wasn’t just my family that was surprised either. My friends saw me for the first time with darker hair and I was immediately given positive reactions. I was finally able to make a change that I wanted, and no one else could have changed my mind about it. I love this look and what this look has given me.

When my hair was blondish brown, I felt like I blended into the bricks here at our school, but with this new hair, I feel like people notice me more often. I also feel as if I act differently as well. I’m more confident and walk with my head a little higher than I used to. I feel a little crazier and a little louder as well. As it washes out of my hair, it almost feels like a little bit of the confidence and the crazy washes down the drain with it. My friend, Catelyn Rhodes, told me that each of the colors she has dyed her hair has given her new experiences. I want to experience as many colors as I possibly can. This is only the beginning.