Are you rooting for Redheads?

Redhead King and Queen 2015

(Photo courtesy of Redhead Convention website)

As a fun loving, grown up redhead, I was fascinated this week to read about the Redhead Convention. ‘A wacky festival of ginger loving madness’, Crosshaven, County Cork, Ireland.  It’s a relatively new Convention created initially to celebrate the joys of being redheaded. It began as a creative and fun way to celebrate the birthday of … you’ve guessed it … a redhead! 

Over the years redheads have had a tough time due to their hair colouring. Somehow the colour attracted wisecrack comments and occasionally thoughtless and insensitive comments, ‘Ginger’, ‘Rusty’ and ‘Carrot top’, to mention a few.  Of course, as a child such names were unwelcome and uncool.

As a teenager, I hated red hair.  I simply wanted to blend in with the brunettes and the blondes.  I didn’t want to be different.   Thankfully my red head was less carrot colour and more auburn hue. My cousin painfully endured a bright, curly mop of carrot coloured hair, much to his dismay.  It just wasn’t cool in the 70s even when perms became the fashion.  Blondes may have had more fun … but redheads didn’t.  Invariably redheads were easily identified when bunking off school! Redheads were so much easier to spot and identify especially when up to no good.

I’d moan about red hair.  I recall my poor grandmother trying to comfort me by saying that when I grew up I would enjoy and appreciate my beautiful, long flowing locks of red. She recounted tales about the wonderful Maureen O'Hara (of The Quiet Man with John Wayne fame) and how her beautiful mane of red hair caught the attention of the Hollywood screen.  But I was no Maureen O'Hara despite my love of theatre and Irish dancing.

As the years passed I did grow to like my red hair … the long flowing locks are shorter and easier to manage now.  I’ve learned to embrace the ‘redhead difference’ and what it brings.  I’ve read that Maureen O'Hara celebrated her 95^th birthday this month.  She continues to sport a mop of red hair.  I wonder if she knows about the Redhead Convention? 

It might be fun to get together and attend next year’s Redhead Convention in Co Cork, Ireland.  If you’re a redhead, note the date in your diary - August 2016. Sounds like a great opportunity for us redheads to get together and celebrate.  Perhaps we’ll see you there?

Maire Rua 

Who inspires you?

Sometimes it’s the everyday people in our lives that inspire us. Inspiration does not always come from the powerful leader, the famous orator or in today’s world, the celebrity.  Inspiration may be found in quiet and unexpected places and in everyday folk. It may be resting within people as a hidden gift or talent.  It may have been shelved or packed away for years.  Often, priorities, lack of resources and the demands of a growing family have unintentionally buried that talent for years. Occasionally, that talent may have hidden until the spirit of opportunity tapped gently on their shoulder and said, ‘Now is the time to shine’.

Yesterday I visited a lovely friend of mine who now resides in a care home.  We both share a love of dance.  She loves sequence dancing and I enjoy Irish dancing. My friend and her husband used to teach dancing classes.  Sadly her husband died a few years ago.  They met at a dance class.  My friend and I laughed about the fun we had learning new steps, dancing with various teams and competition dancing too.  Despite the difference in years, we shared memories of favourite pieces of music, routines and dance outfits.   We agreed that we learned much along the way about teamwork, winning, losing gracefully and most of all about how other dancers inspired us with intricate footwork and complex routines. Dancing is a great way to meet new people and make friends. It’s very sociable hobby, if you don’t believe me, have a go at ceili dancing!

I’m not a great follower of television shows … except of course ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, but I was most impressed when I came across a lady called Paddy, who loves salsa dancing and she’s only 80 years young. Here is one inspirational lady.

Check out the link below and let me know what you think.

http://www.reshareworthy.com/80-year-old-salsa-dancer/#3W6mSTkME7ZMrAW1.01

Have a good week everyone and I invite you to be inspired or be the inspiration … or BOTH!