Colorfully Carousing Through Cherished Collectibles
Crayons. I credit Crayola for creating my craze for collecting. In the 1960s, Crayola crayons were a popular and affordable item, with boxes containing 8, 16 or 24 crayons, starting at a paltry price of 19 cents. The brand also introduced a built-in sharpener to the box of 64 crayons, which launched in 1958 – the year of my birth. t was meant to be my first love. This may be why I have always been captivated by colors (among a colossal account of other things). I firmly believe this began my relentless regale for colors of all kinds.
It was my dear friend Bret who fueled my fondness for my forever favorite – red. Bret’s bond was with blue. However, when the beloved bubblegum machine bestowed him with a red ring, and to me a blue one, we had a simple solution. We did what any sensible second-grader would do – we switched! And our friendship still flourishes, all because of our childhood palette preference.
In my teens, I was yearning for yarn – those thick, oh-so-COLORFUL, fuzzy hair ties to match my every ensemble. Green sweater? I’ve got a hair tie for that! This was also the mainspring of my mania with all things matching. And the keenness for color carries on…
Coming from a lineage of brunettes, wasn’t I surprised at having two redheaded daughters. I was blessed with not one, but two ginger-headed babies. And boy did they showcase the symbolism of red: passion, fire and energy. And yes, anger. Yet “seeing red” has mostly blessed, rather than burdened me. Soon my timeless taste of the tints had turned toward the togs of my toddlers. I bought the bows for all their clothes. And oh my Oshkosh! This was the debut of a dubious deluge of darling duds for my daughters. I was smitten with the kitten (“Hello Kitty”), had a hankering for Healthtex and oh, the joys of Gymboree! And, of course, I could never careen past a Carter outlet store. No more thinking pink was exclusively for girls and greens and blues were for boys. My daughters even donned deep purples. I was in hue heaven.
But the color red never lost its luster in my latter life. It will forever be my forefronting favorite. “Red” was the nickname my dad dubbed my granddaughter Averie for her lovely locks. I LOVE seeing Red, and ALL of my precious grandkids.
As if my obsession wasn’t obviously evident by now, consider this: my color-coded calendar. Yes, the days (or daze?) of the Crayola craze have come back to haunt me. To say I’m an avid multi-tasker is moot, which is evident on my iPhone. Amid my massive manifest of meetings (doctor, dentist and dog appointments) and regular rendezvous with family and friends, my calendar is a colorful rainbow of responsibilities. Most would be daunted at a dive into my daily duties. But I find profound pleasure in pursuing life with plenty of passion and purpose. I’ve been known to say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Isn’t that what is meant by “Rest in Peace?”
And there you have it – a prismatic portrayal of my peculiar personal preferences. Thanks for listening and I sincerely relish your readership. (I hope you’re RED-y!)
Branna (McCarty) Shores believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud graduate of NHS and Purdue University, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com