*Written June 2009*
Some days I’m diggin my hair so much that I can’t tear myself away from the mirror. Other days, I get frustrated and can’t stand what is looking back at me in the mirror. Some days I luv my TWA and other days I wish it would grow out already. I have no interest to relax, I just get restless sometimes… It can be difficult at times not to watch the pot boil.
When I get too restless, I will rock a half wig for the day or get braids. Or I will kinky twist my hair like I just did recently for the first time. But then, I get those suckers in and have the nerve to MISS the hair that got on my nerves 10 hours ago! I can’t win. LOL.
In my time being natural so far, I’ve just rode the wave and done whatever I’ve felt like doing (while taking proper care of my hair, of course). My journey has been anything but dull that’s for sure! I say all this to say, just like when you were relaxed you didn’t like your hair everyday, you’re not going to always like your hair when its natural everyday either. Some things never change... So those times or days you don’t like what you’re hair is doing, wear a wig; rock a weave for a few weeks or get extensions via braids or kinky twists or *gasps* straighten it.
If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you’ve seen that I’ve done all kinds of fun stuff to my hair: half-wigs, braids, twists, etc.
It’s OK to play. It doesn’t make you any less natural b/c you try something new. If you wanna wear a straight wig for 4 weeks or straighten your own hair, go for it. It’s a heck of a lot better than relaxing your hair again.
Some naturals in the natural community can be so radical in their thinking and judgments and I don’t feel that it has to be that way.
I like defining my curls and elongating them which has been criticized in the past by some radicals. That is just how I do and how I like to style MY hair. Doesn’t make me any less natural or a hater of my texture. That’s like saying that people with straight hair that prefer to wear their hair curled under hate their naturally straight hair. Do people hear themselves?
Don’t give people, relaxed or natural, the power to put you in a box. They don’t live your life and pay your bills. Just do you. Being a natural isn’t about being "earthy" or saying "power to the people" (b/c the 60's are over and in my experiences non black people like natural hair more than our own brothas and sistas do) or you have to become a different kind of person. It’s simply a decision to no longer relax or texturize and rock with the hair that naturally grows out of your head b/c there's nothing wrong with it. That’s it. You don’t have to completely change what kind of person you are if you don’t wanna. But I do hope that being natural does enhance your personal being for the better.
Your confidence makes whatever hair type or length you have, the hair doesn’t make you. Have fun with it and don’t EVER apologize for what you choose to do with it.
Let’s not suck all the fun outta hair. Ok? If we stop over analyzing it, it really can be “just hair” one day. Until then, do you and inspire others to do the same.
ON THAT NOTE, DO SOMETHING FUN WITH YOUR HAIR THIS WEEKEND! CIAO!
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