Latest news with #identitycrisis
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The one change that worked: I was born with brown hair. But becoming Ginger Rachel brought me true happiness
My hair has always been my pride and joy. Hairdressers would fawn over how long and thick it was. It was glossy, healthy and an unremarkable shade of light brown. But it never really felt like 'me'. As a teen I dyed it purple, pink, red, blue or all four, trying to find the magic shade that would make sense. Until disaster struck. When I was 18, I damaged my hair so badly with bleach that no colour would stick to it. After I spent two weeks as peroxide Barbie, my hairdresser saved what she could of my hair by dyeing it back to its natural mousy brown colour and chopping a good 14 inches off into a blunt bob. Much to her dismay, again bored with brown I bleached it a week later. It seemed I was in a permanent identity crisis that only a box of bleach could fix. Accepting that I was maybe just one bleach job away from my hair falling out, and wanting to return to the glory days of healthy, luscious locks, I started researching natural ways to restore my hair. After sampling every haircare product and trying DIY hair masks made from eggs, it seemed the best long-term solution would be to use henna, a natural dye. I thought I would try to keep it interesting by going for auburn, a dark red/orange that would fade so I could easily slather shocking pink over it. 'Auburn' was a little misleading and I ended up with bright ginger hair. When using henna the result can vary depending on your natural hair colour. But the second I saw my new hair colour, I finally recognised something in myself. My mum has naturally auburn hair. (Her hair used to be dark orange or red depending on the light. Some people, like me, would say ginger. She would disagree. It's up for debate.) She rocked this look in her 20s, when I was a young child. At 26, when I look in the mirror, I now see her looking back at me. For the past seven years I have been dyeing my hair ginger every month and I still get the same feeling of relief as I did the first time I saw those fiery strands. Everyone thinks it's natural. And it makes sense with my Scottish accent and pale complexion. My hair colour has become part of my identity. At an old job, I was even referred to as Ginger Rachel. When I told them my original hair colour was light brown, one co-worker very seriously told me it was an insult to his childhood struggles with being teased for being ginger. Another called me a fraud. The outrage has only confirmed that having ginger hair suits me. If I had never told anyone I wasn't naturally ginger, they would never have known. I even forget myself that it's fake until I have to dye it again. I'm committed to being Ginger Rachel for life.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Book Review: 'Fatherhood' studies the impact of family ties through history
The painter Norman Rockwell was known for his depictions of calm, domestic life in America, but his home life was nowhere near those idyllic portraits. In the beginning of 'Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power,' Augustine Sedgewick recounts the troubles that Rockwell faced at home. The artist complained about his wife's drinking and her criticism, and once told one of his sons that he would kill himself if not for his boys. The misery endured by Rockwell kicks off Sedgewick's wide-ranging history of fatherhood, which he calls a 'succession identity crises spanning thousands of years.' Sedgewick's book doesn't offer a clear answer on what it means to be a father, but he offers a series of enlightening stories about how several famous figures have approached fatherhood. It's a motley assortment of dads, ranging from Plato to Bob Dylan. The profiles, at times, feel disjointed, but that doesn't make the details Sedgewick unearths about how the approach to fatherhood changed over the years any less interesting. The book shows how naturalist Charles Darwin's close relationship with his sons helped shaped his research on natural selection. And how Dylan rewrote his happy childhood in Hibbing, Minnesota, as he gained fame and re-invented his story to fit his image. 'Dylan understood, arguably before anyone else, one of the defining emotional truths of rock 'n' roll: a perfectly nice home can sometimes be the worst kind of all,' Sedgewick writes. Sedgewick's book shouldn't be viewed as a guide for fathers or families, but it is a timely read for a point where family roles continue to evolve and be challenged. ___ AP book reviews:
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Josh Hawley's Surprising Plea for Medicaid
To the Editor: Re 'The G.O.P. Is Having Our Own Identity Crisis,' by Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri (Opinion guest essay, May 14): Senator Hawley is not someone I typically agree with or hold in high regard. As a Black woman, I still vividly remember his condescending behavior during Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing. As a liberal-leaning moderate, I often find myself frustrated by the theatrics and drama displayed by those in the highest offices of our country. I was shocked — and admittedly irritated — to see that The New York Times had published an article by him. However, as a middle school principal, I encourage my students to engage with perspectives that challenge their beliefs. To avoid hypocrisy, I decided to read it. To my surprise, I found myself respecting Senator Hawley's advocacy for his constituents. He openly acknowledges that stagnant wages, delayed family formation due to financial insecurity, and skyrocketing housing costs are failures of both Democrats and Republicans. More important, despite Republican dominance in Congress and the Supreme Court, and a Republican president governing largely by executive order, he is still considering how to deliver real results to his voters. If more Democrats took this approach — prioritizing action over rhetoric — they might regain the trust of frustrated voters. I may never agree with Senator Hawley on most issues, but I respect any leaders willing to hold their own party accountable for the good of the people. This is true leadership, and our country needs more of it.
