The Colour Red ...

... is very important in my life.

Anyone who knows me knows that it's my favourite colour. My car is red and I have very many red clothes. As I sit here I am wearing bright red trousers and red and black underwear. (I am, of course, wearing a top! But that's black!) And whilst out I carried a red bag and wore a red cap.

It all began when I was about 18. I'd had an exam at college and it'd been really difficult, so I was very fed up. There was a shop in the town centre called Looking Good. It used to sell really quirky pieces of clothing, quite unusual pieces - which is why I loved the shop so much! So, after my exam I decided to visit Looking Good.

Now for an item of clothing from that shop, the t-shirt was actually quite plain and ordinary! But it called out to me! I would probably have been wearing black at the time, as most of us students then did. But the t-shirt was red and white stripes - so quite a departure for me colourwise!

But oh, I loved that t-shirt! I always felt so happy when I wore it! So since then I suppose I've always associated the colour red with being happy!

"Red is active, daring, passionate, and optimistic. It enhances alertness and encourages activity. Goethe held red to be the most intense colour, the furthest from both black and white, and it is noteworthy that those languages which only have words for three basic colours always select black, white, and red. In Egypt, red symbolised masculinity, life, and warmth, but also danger. It was the opposite of the feminine white: this can be seen in Egyptian art, where the women are white and the men brown (which was considered a shade of red). Pink is milder and more affectionate than red, feminine rather than masculine; it is good for comfort and healing."

http://www.skyscript.co.uk/colour.html


"RED. PhysicalPositive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement.Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight or flight" instinct. Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the simplest colour, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive."

http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psyprop.html

So, am I a red person? I may be passionate and optimistic (eternally so!!) But I don't think I'm dangerous! Nor do I think I'm particularly masculine! And I don't think I'm strong either emotionally or physically! I'm aware that people perceive me to be a strong character, but I'm very insecure and emotional really. Interestingly, that's one of the reasons I liked Biggles - he saw me for myself, saw through the mask of bravery I wear! But then again, he couldn't cope with my insecurity!

Maybe I wear red to try and project a different image of myself, one that is brave and strong and tough - maybe I do it to try and convince myself that I am these things. Maybe I just like to get noticed, the drama queen that I am!

Para xxx