The Colors of My Life

This post came about from the Daily Post challenge for this week. A splash of color. We are to write a post inspired by color. Here is my contribution. I didn’t want to write about the fall colors outside. They are beautiful no doubt. I’m enjoying them immensely, I’m also enjoying all the pictures and posts about the fall colors. You guys know how to take some beautiful pictures and your words that go with them are great. I decided to get a bit more personal with my post. I wanted to show how colors become a part of who I am. Being a writer, and also an artist color to me IS personal. Hope you enjoy.

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When I was young the color of my life was black, brown, gray, or some other  nondescript color. Very rarely did a bright or cheerful color come into my life. The clothes I wore reflected this darkness. I didn’t want to be noticed, I didn’t want anyone to see me. I could open my closet and it would be dark, dark, dark.

My mother would try to force some colors on me. Like pink, ugh. I am not a pink type of girl. Wasn’t then, not so much now either. But Mom was of a generation where pink was for girls. Period. And frills, and lace and, well you get the idea. Now also being vertically challenged (5 foot even) I have to be careful what I wear. If I pick the wrong style, color, whatever I can look ridiculous. I mean that’s fine if its Halloween, you have a free pass to look ridiculous. Other than on that day, no.

My teenage years weren’t  much different. Dark colors. I had some rough years during that time. My mom and I very rarely got along. In fact looking back. We NEVER got along. So I stayed with the dark colors. Every once in a while I would throw in a purple or a forest green. Never pastels. Not for this girl. As for clothes, well the shorter the skirt the better. But, I had to wait till I was away from home. My dad would not allow me or my sister to wear dresses or skirts that were above the knee. Very old-fashioned man that he was. I believe he just thought he was protecting his little girls. So my sis and I would go to school and then roll up our skirts till they were as short as we wanted. Naughty naughty.

Once I grew older and moved out of the house I was happier so the colors of my life got a bit brighter. I threw in some reds, oranges, bright blues, and even (gasp) some pastels! I would have even put in some yellow, but yellow is just not my color! Made me look like I was ill. 😉

I was even starting to experiment with my hair color. I would go light, or dark, or something in-between. My natural color is a light auburn/brown mix. I would go red, which I really liked. One time I went a really dark brown. Boy was that a mistake! Everyone for weeks asked me if I was sick. That dark hair color was just not for me! So, as soon as I could I went to Ash blonde. Whew, at least I didn’t look like a zombie anymore. (zombie’s weren’t popular yet)

It’s interesting to me to look back and know how my life was going just by what colors I would wear. After I got married my colors got much brighter. For a while. Then they got darker and darker. Till I was at a point that I only wore black or brown. I wonder what a psychiatrist would get out of my wardrobe down through the years?

After my divorce my colors once again got lighter. Some nice royal purple or emerald-green got thrown in the mix. I was getting braver about the colors I would wear. My hair color changed with the new me also. A bright Auburn color was my choice. A shade that said, “I am in charge of my life for once! Look at me!”

Now that I am a bit older. More settled in who and what I am. The colors of my life have changed once more. I wear reds, bright blues, bright greens, orange, and yes sometimes even pink! My hair color is back to its normal one. A light auburn/brown. I don’t feel it’s necessary to hide anymore. I am who I am. And proud of who I became. Honestly, I don’t think those dark colors will come back into my life. I will stick with the bright ones. I love red, orange, yellow, purple and green. Those are the colors of life.

Those are the colors of MY life.