Red-Haired Princess

When I was little, my hair was always short. Because of my mom's busy schedule and my mischief, whenever my hair grew long enough to touch my shoulders, she would cut it short in a snap. Yet, I wished I could have long hair like the other cute girls. Due to my short hair, when I went to the grocery store, old ladies would call me "son," and women wouldn't let me sit next to them on buses. It hurt me a lot.

Finally, when I reached an age where I could make my own decisions, I decided to grow my hair out. Since that day, except for two occasions, my hair has always been below my shoulder blades. They're now reaching down to my shoulders, and I can't wait for them to grow even longer.

Because of my short hair when I was a child, I always felt inadequate in princess games. One day, I discovered a special game for myself. In my grandparents' house, there was a rectangular mirror with gold-trimmed edges. While everyone gathered in the heated living room, engaged in lively conversations, I would either not move or move to another room because of the cold, and set up the mirror in a suitable position. Then, I would take off my beloved red, woolen, hand-knitted sweater, put it on my head quietly - occasionally checking if anyone was watching me, then adjust it on my head to make my face look beautiful and get ready for the game :)

I would admire myself in the mirror, include myself as the red-haired princess in the fairy tales I knew, and defeat the other princesses. I thought my hair looked much fuller and cooler because of the sleeves of my sweater. In my opinion, Snow White or Cinderella didn't stand a chance against my beauty!

From the outside, the game was just me watching myself in the mirror and talking to myself. But for me, it was much more than that. A whole different world was forming in my head. Sometimes I would get so lost in talking to myself and looking in the mirror that when I snapped out of it, I would realize everyone was laughing at me, and I would feel embarrassed afterward. :)

Sometimes, I even considered going out as the red-haired princess. Everyone would be amazed by my beauty! Of course, my mom would never allow that. Adults were always boring. When I grew up, I would rebel against all these rules!

I finally grew up, and those days are behind me. Regardless of what happens, the confidence and imagination of that red-haired princess will always live within me.

Love,