Reflections

Hair is topic of the moment. Thanks Chris Rock! I have been thinking about my own hair and how I've arrived in this natural state: purely by accident!

Spring Break 2004, a group of my co-workers and even family members, took a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Conquest out of New Orleans. It was so much fun.

My hair was up in micro-braids that were on their last leg. I decided not to endure the take down process and sit another 8 hours to get them re-done for the cruise. The braids made it through. When I got home, I decided to take them down. Somewhere along the way, I got impatient. I had the grandiose idea in mid-takedown, to wash my hair with Creme of Nature shampoo. It always makes hair glide through right? Wrong. I had all kinds of tangles and matted hair and countless braids still in tact. The un-detangled hair became totally matted! Oh boy! Not even Creme of Nature was melting those tangles and snarls. I was very frustrated and desperate. There was only one thing to do. Cut it off! I had a male friend help me. Of course, he was not a willing participant as he did not want my mother to crack open his dome. But I was having a moment like Bernadine in Waiting to Exhale: either you do it or I'm going to do it myself. He did. I was brave yet terrified! I had been seeing the little waves of hair underneath those braids and wondered what my own hair looked like but I was also anticipating my next relaxer.

When he finished, I looked like a scared boy. I had hair but it was just very short and had permed ends. I looked crazy! I tied my hair up and threw on a baseball cap and ran to the nearest beauty supply store to buy a wig. I wore that wig and another one for fun, from March until November. I was almost natural underneath but no one knew. I got tired of the two textures and had it relaxed in November 2004. I wasn't ready for natural hair.

Being ready for natural hair requires mental preparation and thick skin. People will hurl all kinds of rude questions and comments about your hair. If you have the slightest concern about what someone may say to you, YOU ARE NOT READY!

I had no idea that on August 8, 2006, I would receive my last chemical relaxer. I got my hair braided in November for our Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas and so my transition began. I ended up transitioning for 8 months and on June 11, 2007, I did the big chop! This time I was ready and have loved this journey since!