I love colors – bright, colorful colors. I am one of the many color people in a neutral world. This actually goes against the social norm right now, because it is very trendy to design/decorate/dress in neutral colors, more affectionately known as earthtones. I actually find the descriptive word “earthtones” amusing because when I look at the earth, I see so much more than 27 shades of tan and beige. To me, the earth is where all the color is – green grass, blue sky, orange/red/yellow monarch butterflies, bluebonnets, red Indian paintbrushes, pink/orange/yellow sunsets, red/blue/purple/green rainbows, etc. Those are earthtones to me.

When I was young, one of my favorite days was in September when my mom would take us shopping for school supplies. That was the day I got to get my fresh, new box of 24 Crayola crayons. I would open the box, smell that familiar smell, and  just sit as I would absorb 22 shades of blue! I even liked the customized names Crayola would give to each little crayon. . . . Periwinkle Blue, Sienna Brown, Goldenrod, Shamrock Green. Then came the year the Crayon company jumped up to a 48 crayon box. I couldn’t believe my eyes! All that color in my little hand! Then the BIG year came – 96 crayons! I almost passed out right there on the Safeway aisle! Could life really be so good to me???? Yes, I like colorful Crayola crayons.

I actually even like going to office supply stores and walking to the paper section. Some of the stores have kiosks with shelves of colored paper, and I will stand there,  spinning the colors. As you can imagine, I also love the paint swatch section at the hardware store too:  a veritable plethora of every color imaginable. And again, creative little names accompany every single
color. I can actually feel my mood elevate by seeing all the bold little guys in their colorful splendor.

When the neutral/earthtone phase first re-emerged a couple of years ago, I tried to accommodate society by giving in, and I painted our walls neutral.  I even purchased some neutral colored clothing, put on my beige pants and a big smile, and walked out into the world. After a couple of weeks, I noticed that I had kind of lost some of my energy, some of my verve, some of my personal “color”.  The next day, I put my colors back on, and lo and behold!! – I was revived!! The day after that, I put my new neutral clothes in a bag for CCA. The painted walls stayed neutral, but I went and bought two green couches!

One of the best gifts I think people can give others is to truly know themselves, to dance to their own tune, to appreciate what they’ve been created to appreciate. The individuality of each one of us is what adds color to this world.

During this spring, the day after Easter, there is a new birth,  a new refreshment.  I’m grateful my world is colored.

Love, Kim