Freedom...........

 

I've always sort of considered myself a socially conscious person.  I read a lot of African American authors, poets, journalists....I feel I have an understanding of diversity and an acceptance of differences.  Throughout my life I have had many different hairstyles. I've had long hair, short hair, long and short hair.  Curly hair, straight hair, but up until June 26, 2009 I had never worn NATURAL hair.  I walked into an African hair braiding salon and asked the stylist to lock or twist my hair.  She said, she could do it but I still had a lot of relaxed hair and she could mask that with extensions.  I told her I didn't want to do anymore weave, just my own hair.  She said the only way that would work would be to cut off my ends and she sort of laughed that notion off because my hair was so long at that point.  

I see where she was coming from.  Some women, especially black women feel they are of no value without their hair.  Most of them need to have very long, straight hair even if genetically their hair would NEVER be that way.  I had done all of that, the sew in, quick weave, micros etc....AND I WAS TIRED...I wanted to be FREE.  

So, I told her I'd be back later.  I went home, took out my haircutting shears and cut every bit of relaxed hair OFF MY HEAD....there was quite a bit of hair on the floor and as I looked at it I felt nothing but FREEDOM.  Looking in the mirror at my small afro I felt liberated and relaxed.  I went back to the salon and shocked the mess out of everyone there.  The conversation the whole time I was there was, "I can't believe you cut all that hair off!!!"...My response to that, was what I've always told my daughters....It is HAIR, it grows EVERYDAY sometimes very fast each day, so it will come back.  

Today, only a year and a half later, I have three, maybe four times as much hair as I did when I first cut my hair all off.  It feels fantastic!!! Soft and comfortable, CLEAN because I can shampoo it whenever I want (everyday if I want) and just FREE....Now I'm hoping I can transpose that feeling of freedom from my hair to my life.....

I thank and appreciate all who will read. Peace