I do not know what it is about change that people fear. Perhaps because we get caught up in keeping stuff like it was back in the day, we allow ourselves to forget about the benefits that change can bring about. I have always uttered how change is a good thing, but never acted upon any personal change in regards to my appearance! Being from the old school of "keeping it real" I vowed that I would never stray from my own truth. That being said, however, I began to recognize how my truth needed a bit of upgrading! I'm intuned with the song "I am not my hair" by India Arie, but I was always defined by my locs and that to me was and is a good thing.
During the 70s, it was the "fro" I wore in paying homage to the Freedom Fighters, Civil Rights Movement, Angela Davis's defiance and James Brown screams of "Say It Loud I'm Black And I'm Proud!" Those contributes for me were the defining moments into seeking my 'truths' and wearing it well...Thus the afro and my love for living life, "Naturally Nappy". For the record, I have nothing against sistahs who prefer to wear other people hair, or to keep their own tresses straight, bouncing and behaving with the usage of harsh chemicals and countless visits to hair salons and monies spent on boxed in perms.
I am not and never have been on a "haters" trek. Too bad, some of these very same women folk can not see how I feel about wearing my locs and loving the beauty of my natural self. I started locing in the mid-nineties, to my spouse's chargin at the time. He thought it a phase, but, I knew it to be a life choice. Unfortunately, because of family genetic, my hair, always long & coarse, seemed to grow even faster after locing.
With my locs well below my shoulders of late, I'd been twisting new growth every two week ( loc techs are expensive) which put a strain on my arms and my mind. I was beginning to resent my hair! Then, during the summer, I made a decision to cut my hair. Yep, I decided to cut my lovely, nappy, locs! I was going to, for once, make a dire life style change and rid myself of an extension of my born identity...
On vacation from work this past September. I had my locs cut. It had been well over 19 years! The stylist kept exclaiming how long my new growth was and how good my hair was; How curly my mane was! I chalked this information up and told her, since I hadn't seen the roots of my hair for many years, I could not comment on how "good" it was. All I know as my locs lay on the floor seemingly, all along? I wanted and needed to say a proper good-bye.
I had the over zealous stylist to bag up my hair so I could bring it home. Everyday when I catch a glimpse of my short hair in the mirror, I give my reflection a wink. People at work tell me how gorgeous my haircut is. How fast it's growing. I smile, knowing that I'm not my hair and my new locs?...Well, I'm loving living happily nappy, because I know if it was not for Madame C.J.Walker, folks would never think to straighten their nappy hair and being naturally nappy is a thing...
During the 70s, it was the "fro" I wore in paying homage to the Freedom Fighters, Civil Rights Movement, Angela Davis's defiance and James Brown screams of "Say It Loud I'm Black And I'm Proud!" Those contributes for me were the defining moments into seeking my 'truths' and wearing it well...Thus the afro and my love for living life, "Naturally Nappy". For the record, I have nothing against sistahs who prefer to wear other people hair, or to keep their own tresses straight, bouncing and behaving with the usage of harsh chemicals and countless visits to hair salons and monies spent on boxed in perms.
I am not and never have been on a "haters" trek. Too bad, some of these very same women folk can not see how I feel about wearing my locs and loving the beauty of my natural self. I started locing in the mid-nineties, to my spouse's chargin at the time. He thought it a phase, but, I knew it to be a life choice. Unfortunately, because of family genetic, my hair, always long & coarse, seemed to grow even faster after locing.
With my locs well below my shoulders of late, I'd been twisting new growth every two week ( loc techs are expensive) which put a strain on my arms and my mind. I was beginning to resent my hair! Then, during the summer, I made a decision to cut my hair. Yep, I decided to cut my lovely, nappy, locs! I was going to, for once, make a dire life style change and rid myself of an extension of my born identity...
On vacation from work this past September. I had my locs cut. It had been well over 19 years! The stylist kept exclaiming how long my new growth was and how good my hair was; How curly my mane was! I chalked this information up and told her, since I hadn't seen the roots of my hair for many years, I could not comment on how "good" it was. All I know as my locs lay on the floor seemingly, all along? I wanted and needed to say a proper good-bye.
I had the over zealous stylist to bag up my hair so I could bring it home. Everyday when I catch a glimpse of my short hair in the mirror, I give my reflection a wink. People at work tell me how gorgeous my haircut is. How fast it's growing. I smile, knowing that I'm not my hair and my new locs?...Well, I'm loving living happily nappy, because I know if it was not for Madame C.J.Walker, folks would never think to straighten their nappy hair and being naturally nappy is a thing...
Clara B. Freeman is a freelance writer/poet and columnist living in Illinois. To learn more about her work, visit her websites @ http://wisewoman2.wordpress.com/ and http://clara54.wordpress.com/ |
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