The past month has been a great one, and I've thought a lot about certain things.
It was recently my cousin's birthday, and I hadn't seen her since February, so it was good to see her again. We went to a place we'd never eaten before at Kensington Market, and I really enjoyed her company. She can be really hilarious! Best of all, the feelings that I had in a recent post had subsided because I had time to myself and am actually planning to do something new.
I'm planning to get locs! The idea was first placed in my head 2 years ago by heartbreaker, yet I never took him seriously. I thought I'd look so ugly with them. But then one of my colleagues kept encouraging me to get them, and now I'm sold! It's in line with my 3 biggest hair goals:
1. STAY natural FOREVER!
2. grow MY hair, so that I don't turn to extensions
3. low maintenance - I don't have time to be styling up my hair
I've been natural for just over 4 years, and my hair when straightened lands right at my shoulders. I thought it was incredible, but people who aren't black are astounded but how ssslllloooooooowwww that growth process was...for them, they can grow what I grew in 8 months or less!
But for me, it's about continuing on my journey of self-acceptance. I just want to be me. I want to look like myself, and that means accept my hair as is - I don't want to chase the Eurocentric beauty ideals because I will never look or be European. Everyone's beautiful and attractive, so am I.
I realize that consequences will follow my decision such as job prospects and having peoples ignorant preconceived notions pushed on me: some people will assume I smoke weed all day, don't wash my hair, along with everything else they assume. But as of now, I don't care. I am me, I just want to keep learning about myself and just be happy with my life decisions, and feel that I am making a positive impact in this world.
I also feel like this is perfect timing. I'll be starting my studies in naturopathic medicine this September, and making this decision prior may not have been the best choice. But now, I feel that I am finding my place of being, and I want to be real to my patients and real within myself.
Now all I need to do is find a loctitian and get "loc'd"!
