Curse and Blessing ~ or ~ Who is That Person in the Mirror?

Dyed my hair dark auburn yesterday.  Well, I didn't dye it, my hairdresser did.  I've been sporting some version of blond for years, which is kind of funny since I don't think of myself as a blond.  I was actually born with blue-black hair which turned a really pretty shade of auburn.  Somehow, it slowly morphed to blondish.

The march down that path was innocent at first.  I got a few blond highlights.  It made me feel perky, outdoorsy, as in kissed by the sun.  As my eye became accustomed to the look, I had a few more highlights added, and so on and so forth.  Next thing you know, people were referring to me as a blond.  I didn't buy it.  Inside me I was still auburn.

I must admit that when I do look in the mirror and actually see myself as a blond, I know it's time to reverse the process.  The thing is, I never go backwards as gradually as I go forward.  So it's always shocking to be suddenly auburn again.  I haven't decided how I feel about myself now when I look into the mirror.  Where did the-blond-go-that-I-didn't-believe-I was-but-now-that-I'm-auburn-I'm-missing-her?

Ah, the curse and blessing of store-bought hair color.  What I want to know is why does it throw me into a tizzy, brief though it may be, when I make the switch?  I'm going to chalk it up to familiarity.  I'm familiar with the blond I've been staring at, I just have to get used to the auburn chick who has taken her place (at least until the blond slowly starts returning again).