Show Me Your Purple, I’ll Show You My Red

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

I have never liked the color purple (not to be confused with the movie, The Color Purple), it never did anything for me. It doesn’t wOW me, doesn’t move me to places I only find in my dreams, it just doesn’t have that particular je ne sais quoi. But, if you put purple in a garden, place it on your mantle, or dress your newborn baby in it, I am drawn to the color like bees to honey. I have not pinpointed why this is so. Why do my eyes only have a certain appreciation for purple? Is it scandalous in its full flare and I can only manage to take it in by the spoonful? Does it require a work-up-to-it love that only few are afforded the opportunity to experience? Why should I treat the color purple like the red-headed stepchild of my color family? (I love red-headed stepchildren, by the way. This is for the writing folks, all for the writing.)

Purple, or from the family of purple, swaying in the breeze.

Purple doesn’t knock on my door; three taps to delight, waking me up to beautiful sun-lit days. It doesn’t swagger-walk, doesn’t court me at just the right moment. But, if you see purple whispering in my ear, it’s probably telling me something naughty. That’s when purple is my favorite. Still, purple is not red and red is my love.

Red, I’d do it all for you.

Red needs no introduction. It sashays on high heels, unafraid to speak loudly in a crowd. Red is a muse. You can see red all over, marking its territory. Red isn’t waiting to be announced, it simply shows up, whether you want it to or not. It waits for no approval and if you disapprove of it, it doesn’t care. Red will not apologize, it doesn’t feel the need to back-track, it can only move forward. There isn’t a space big enough for red. There isn’t a bottle which to contain it. You’ve gotta let red be, however, wild and free it is, just let it be.

Red, blowing carelessly in the wind.

And, when you learn to love red, to allow it freedom to pursue you whenever you feel down, red will amaze you. Not like purple. Purple will only drag you back to the dank, dark space red is willing to shield you from. Don’t let purple persuade you. You will surely be sorry if you do.

Author’s note: I took these photos yesterday; a clear contrast of two of the boldest colors in Nature. Red is a winner in my book. Purple isn’t even second best. But, I’m willing to tell it that it is, just to keep it happy.