#3077 not a redhead anymore?

selfie in August 2026

When I was at the dermatologist's office earlier in the week, I was chatting with Kelsey, the medical assistant, about all my spots. I said, "Well, I am a pale redhead who didn't always take care of her skin." Kelsey said, "Yeah, you've got all that pale hair." In my head, I was like, what? 

When the doctor was examining me, she asked if I had any red in my hair. I was like, "Yes, I am a redhead! Or I used to be, anyway. Now I've got my old lady hairs that are sort of strawberry blond." The doctor responded in some way that I don't even remember because I was sort of obsessing about the fact that this stranger that I just met didn't know I had red hair. 

Then I thought about people at work who didn't know I'd been a redhead. When those people saw photos of me from earlier days, they would say, "Holy crap, Sandy! Your hair was red!" People who knew me for a long time would laugh, and so did I, but I was secretly sad, too. 

There were times, about 20 years ago, that I paid Lanna (my hair stylist) to put light streaks in my hair, and even longer ago, like 40 years ago, I would put Sun-In on my hair to lighten it up in the summer. Now Mother Nature is saying, "Oh, you wanted light hair back in the day? You got it, sis."

It's weird to notice yourself get older, and see the changes to your body. 

And yeah, I could have Lanna make my hair red again, but I won't. I have accepted that I am now strawberry blond.