Edition #29: No, This Is Not My Natural Hair Color
Plus, a social media trend high schoolers are using to call out racism (not TikTok), the hippie town that tested itself for COVID, and a whimsical art project to transport your imagination.
A Note From the Editor
According to a Google search I just did, 75% of adult women color their hair— myself among them. My hair has been every color from platinum blonde to chestnut brown, and I never felt the need to be secretive about this fact. But then something happened: a truly horrendous looking cherry red dye job at the end of ninth grade, followed by a summer at the beach with my family. After months frolicking around in the sun and swimming in the ocean, my follicles morphed into a pleasing shade of natural-looking red, and serendipitously, my freckles darkened from the sun at the same time. I started a at a new school in the fall with this unintentionally convincing look, and suddenly my identity shifted: I was a redhead.
At some point early on in my tenure at the new school, I threw a party while my parents were out of town. A popular older girl showed up, and we quickly discovered we had attended the same elementary school. As a mix of strangers and friends drank watery hunch punch around my parent’s house, the popular girl exclaimed to the crowd that I had been “such a cute little redheaded freckle face kid”. She described my looks with such conviction that, despite the family photos of my dishwasher brown hair dotting the walls, everyone was convinced, planting a fictitious image of little redheaded Meghan in their minds for the rest of high school.
Perhaps that’s when I started feeling like I had to be a “real” redhead. I’d be precise about my timing so that my roots were never visible. When strangers approached me on the street inquire as to whether this was my natural hair color (which happens with absurd frequency), I’d say “oh, yes,” and I could feel the relief oozing from their pores, followed by an open appreciation for the rarity of it. My friends knew the drill, too; if someone asked about my hair color we were to ban together with the same level of conviction that popular girl had.
Then COVID happened. My roots grew out, and out, and out some more. My boyfriend wondered aloud how my hair could possibly be two different colors, my coworker asked why my hair looked so brown on a heavily attended Zoom call. The reserves of shame I’d been storing about my fabricated identity ran dry; I no longer had the energy to lie about it. Or maybe I finally realized it doesn’t matter what my natural hair color is; I’m not that important and that no one really cares.
I’ve been considering the triviality of the things we attach our identities to— hair color in this case, but there are plenty others— and how COVID has created natural distance between the manufactured value of these traits/habits. A few examples:
“I’m such a morning person” = I’m exceptionally productive
“I don’t really watch TV” = I spend my time doing smarter things because I’m SMART!
“It’s hard to see my family/friends because I’m so busy“ = Being busy makes me feel important, and feeling important holds the greatest value in society
Cheers, my dears. I’d love to hear about what arbitrary traits and habits you’ve attached your identity to in the comments below (and whether COVID has created a new perspective of those attachments).
Three Pieces of Content Worth Consuming:
The New Social Media Trend Highschoolers Are Using to Expose Racism. This one reminds me of the Gex Z version of cancel culture: high school students have taken to social media in two distinctly different ways to expose racism. The first, Instagram accounts that repost racist content with the original posters’ names and handle, typically concentrated in a specific town or school. The thought process here is that racist children grow up to be racist lawyers, doctors, etc., so better to call it out and hold them accountable now. The second, Instagram accounts dedicated to amplifying black experiences at mostly white, elite private schools. Both are powerful, both are thought-provoking, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on either method.
The Hippie Town That Tested Itself for COVID. Before reading this fascinating piece I’d never heard of Bolinas, CA., but afterward, I was convinced that I’d like to live there. The small, hippie town an hour outside of San Fransico has always functioned as an insular, self-reliant community. They don’t want or need tourists, no one locks their front door, and when COVID struck, they were able to set up a self-functioning sight to test every single resident— using only resident-funded resources.
Congresspeople Are Collecting Coveted Small Business Loans. Political corruption manifests in many forms, and this is a prime example. COVID-19 happens, small businesses take a huge hit, Congress drafts a relief bill to aide said businesses. Many mom and pop shops aren't able to access the funds for a number of reasons (the money ran out quickly, the application process was confusing, etc.). And yet, four different Congress members (both Republicans and Democrats) collected large sums of money from the small business relief fund, for businesses that their family or spouse directly owns and operates. As Rep. Katie Porter put it:
“If you’re a multimillionaire taking taxpayer money in the middle of the biggest unemployment since the Great Depression, get ready to explain that decision to the American people.”
Perhaps You Should…
Build Your Own Tiny Replica of The Great Outdoors
A travel photographer ordered mini replicas of people and re-created scenes from the great outdoors using household objects— the result is utterly delightful. I’ve spent an obscene amount of time marveling at these images, from onion springs to herb jungle.
**Bonus Content** (The One Where People Pretend to Be Ants)
I stumbled across this Twitter thread a few months ago and I re-open it anytime I need a good laugh. I bet you didn’t know there are entire (very much active) Facebook groups dedicated to people…pretending to be ants. Strange? Yes. Marvelous? Also yes.
A Quote From A Book You Should Read:
“I understood there were many ways of being in the world, that to privilege one rigid set of beliefs over another was to lose something. Everything is bizarre, and everything has value. Or if not value, at least merits investigation.”
-Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
This newsletter is best served with a side of conversation, so drop your opinions, reflections, and thoughts in the comments below and let’s get to talking.
Or, share the most thought-provoking piece from today’s edition with someone you love, then call them up to discuss, debate, and percolate. As a wise woman once said, “Great minds discuss ideas.”
The story about small business loan corruption is so damn frustrating. Insane that Roger Williams took a govt handout for his business while voting against transparency requirements for loans over $2M.
Looks like he’s got an actual challenge in November though! Definitely a campaign I’d volunteer for: https://twitter.com/JulieOliverTX
I've known you since the day you were born and you will always be a redhead to me. It's a state of mind, baby!
Also, those Instagram pages are pretty hardcore, but maybe/hopefully it will make people take a pause to consider what they are spewing before they say or type such hateful things.