Hair

So, I have spent my whole life trying to become one with my hair and when I finally do....it starts to change! Really? Being a woman of a certain age my gray hairs are coming in straight!!! Yup, you heard it here...straight I tell you! How is that possible?

I can't speak for other women, but I have spent a LOT of time over the years thinking about, stressing over, analyzing, over analyzing, and perseverating over my hair. The question is why?

Several reasons actually. First, I grew up in a small town where there were virtually no Black people so no one knew how to cut my hair or style it so I was relegated to a fro...whether I wanted one or not. Out of lack of knowledge about my own hair I usually just parted it down the middle and made two braids and called it a day.

I knew nothing about good hair products or any tips and tricks to help contain the frizz etc. That was just the physical struggle and then there was the psychological struggle.

I had very low self-esteem as a kid and my hair was one of many contributing factors. People would often say things like "can I touch your hair?". I let them and almost without fail they would say "wow is your hair soft!". "I thought it would feel like Brillo pads! I have also had people say things like "wouldn't you rather cut your hair?". No. But clearly YOU would rather I cut my hair. My hair is a little too ethnic for some.

On the other side of the fence I would hear from many people, "you got that good hair". Now at first it might seem like a compliment, but it never quite sat right with me and I couldn't explain why. Later in life I figured out why. The people who said this to me were always Black people, and usually, though not always, older. It never felt right because it implied that my hair was "better" than theirs and I never felt comfortable with that. What I have come to understand is that Black people were not happy with their hair which I never knew living in that small town. The further away from looking like a slave you could get, the better.

Sadly this way of thinking still exists although there is a movement out there to live with your natural hair, the way it grows out if your head! What a concept! If you are interested in a good film about this topic, check out the Chris Rock film called "Good Hair". It's very well done.

This has been something that has occupied a lot of my thoughts over the years and when I finally have it all sorted and figured out and am at peace then it goes straight on me!! It's not all straight yet so I can still enjoy my corkscrew curls a while longer...just keep'n it real!