One thing for certain seems to have changed forever
In life, I've been known to many people by many monikers and attributes. Some have been offshoots of my size, others have been manifestations of my personality, and a few have even riffed off of my scintillating demeanor. But the overwhelming majority have found their roots in my roots - the fact that I am (was) a redhead.
To set the record straight, less than 2% of the world's population has red hair. It is the source of great mirth in some cultures and great fear in others (according to tribal legend, Zulu warriors had to slay a redhead in order to assume the role of chieftain - JK). Regardless, it is rare indeed and noteworthy as a physical human characteristic.
I've been asked quite a bit lately "What color is your hair growing back?" Admittedly, there wasn't a lot of red in there when it left, but if forced to answer, most people would have still granted me ginger status. It's still kind of early, and what is coming back so far seems to be overwhelmingly white (no surprise), but with streaks of what can best be described as strawberry brown (ok, brown).
At the core of all of this, like so many other things that I'm learning to look at and live with differently, I guess I'll no longer be known as the "red head guy." I can't use it to help people identify me. I can no longer claim membership in that elite 2-percenter crimson color-coded cadre. And I won't be able to claim my ginger discounts at participating stores. Cancer is a struggle and I think I've managed the worst of it pretty well - but this might be too much.
