HAIR STORY #1

O.K. curlies let me begin by saying that, we all have gorgeous hair!!!!

Wether it is kinks, coils, or curls (thus the name of my fan page) it is gorgeous in its natural state. Lets get with it curlies. Today I went to claires on a hello kitty mission my 13 year old sent me on (and being a hello kitty fan myself needless to say I bought everything they had in the store for school for eshae spent 150 that my ass don't have schoops but thats another story) b4 I went on my regular movie date. Sooo as I was perusing the store looking for Hello Kitty, this young lady asked me "is that your hair" yes was my answer she then said "can I touch it?" yes i said "its so soft" she said, I said thanks, you too can have beautiful curls if you go natural to which she replied "r you Puerto Rican?"  Oh gosh not again!!!! 

I pondered my answer because I just knew what was coming next however, since I live by trying to be as honest as possible I responded yes Puerto Rican and Kittitian. I saw the change in her face and the slump in her posture as she responded "my hair could never look like that". What a declaration she made as I looked her in the eye and I said it can look as beautiful, healthy, and soft as mines. I then continued my impromptu shopping because I didn't have time to sit with this young lady and try to put a crack in that armor of fallacies that she so covered her insecurities with.  

Arghhhhhhh I wanted to scream shake her and say not like mine cause we are different but curly never the less and most importantly healthy and beautiful. Now, as she walked away I felt great sadness because this young woman had over processed, colored, permed hair that was obviously damaged, limp, breaking and short short short just lifeless, and I thought to myself your natural hair would look so much better than what you are rocking now you just have to believe that God knew what he was doing when he gave it to you and learn how to take care of it for God helps those who helps themselves and he never makes mistakes.  

Hair envy is the DEVIL curlies, let me say it again HAIR ENVY IS THE DEVIL!  Now let me explain, it is hair envy that has brain washed some of us (notice I said SOME) to wear those blasted straight indian hair weaves, to perm our hair as soon as we see a curl popping up, to bleach our hair an unnatural shade of blond and to ignore our hair when it screams STOP IT GIVE ME A BREAK.  It is hair envy that derails our good intentions of transitioning to natural because that awkward stage when we don't want to BC and can no longer deal with two kinds of hair on our head leads us to give up and go back to the salon and fix what has never been broken.  It is hair envy that pushes us to cover our natural hair with wigs, braids, and whatever we could find because it just doesn't look like someone else's.  But there is a hope and cure for hair envy curlies its called  CONFIDENCE, confidence is the end all of the nae sayers who say you look funny, or you need a perm.  It is confidence that builds a shield around us that eventually transforms those nae sayers into believers and the jabs, and insults turn into questions as to how did you get your hair that way, can I touch it, and what product did you use.

Now lets not confuse admiration with hair envy for I myself admire several naturals and the lengths and success that they have achieved with their natural coils, kinks, and curls.  Hell I even have a picture up in my office of what my hair goal is and no its not to have waist length hair but to have a head full of curls that span the greatest divide lol and are so perfectly shaped that even I a person that is "hair challenge" can manage it effortlessly.  Now I have never envied another yes admired, cheered, and even clapped at their achievements.  However, self love and confidence has always allowed me to know that I myself can achieve whatever I put my mind to and that obstacles can only make me stronger not break me.  Through the funny hairstyles, the dry hair spurts, the days that I myself look in the mirror and said this look is not working today, I have thrown caution to the wind and worn it with confidence and sooner than later others have come to realize that me and my natural hair don't really care what they like or don't like cause we both know that WE ARE THE BOMB.  So today I implore you to look at others and say wow that hair is gorgeous but to also know that even if your hair is not like, similar, or same, yours is as gorgeous as the other persons and yes YOU ARE THE BOMB TOooo.  Hold your head up high leave the envy at the door and embrace the confidence for if you do you will see that those who have squinted at your hair will soon be smiling and asking advice from you yes you the one who had the courage, conviction, and confidence to let your tresses be themselves and do what they do best  cuuuurrrrrrllllllllll.