FOTKI

english

Shellabug

Miami , Florida

Add to friends

Sponsor this account

Send a virtual gift

Shellabug

All of the personal "hair" journeys I read are always so wonderfully and beautifully complex...and well, mine is no different. I got my first perm when i was 11 or 12 years old, not because I wanted to, but because my ballet academy required all of us to have our hair pulled back into a tight little bun....and they didn't care if little Black girls like me with thick, coily, bra-strap-length hair had any difficulties combing their hair in that style. My hair was just super long and super thick, and I think after struggling to put my hair in a bun everyday, my mom just gave in. So...I was taken to the hair dresser, where I was told "your hair is pretty, but we are gonna make it even prettier." I guess that's where the "lye" all started, because after my hair was permed it seemed to be more of a hassle than before. I not only had to worry about getting it into a bun, but i now had to concern myself with not getting it wet, not scratching my scalp before a touch-up, wrapping it at night, roller setting it each week, sitting under a hot dryer, asking my mom to write a $70 check every time i got it done, coping with dry scalp, and dealing with split ends---none of which plagued me before.

But none of that mattered...my hair was "prettier" now and I was hooked. In my teen and college years, it got to the point where I planned events, parties and dates around my hair. It was like "oh wait, i can't go out with you on Thursday 'cause I'm not getting my hair done until Saturday...can we reschedule?" My permed hair even dictated my daily activities. I never went swimming because I didnt want to mess up my "fresh" perm...I hated to go out at night because the Florida humidity "messed up" my perm...and funny enough, I ended up quitting ballet (the very reason i permed my hair in the first place) because all of the dance training caused me to get sweaty and it would always "mess up my hair." The irony is unbelievable!

But still, I remained hooked. I didn't realize how much of a burden my perm really was until I got to law school. I was at Cornell University, which is located in a VERY small town in up-state new York...where there are NO black salons. For the first time I was forced to deal with my demanding hair all by myself...and it wasn't pretty. I didn't know how to perm my hair myself, so I would wait until I went home for Thanksgiving, Christmas or spring break to perm my hair. Whenever I had to schedule interviews, it was a nightmare for me because the only thought in the back of my mind was, "man, how am I gonna get my hair permed in time so I that I can interview with this law firm?" I felt so burdened.

Anyway, the saving grace came when I found a site called Nappturality. I cant really explain it. It was like being introduced to what my life could be...if only i were free (of perm), lol. I saw all of these beautiful Black women wearing their hair however they pleased...afros, twists, locs, plaits etc and they were happy. They didn't mourn their hair. Their hair didn't dictate their lives (like mine did). I remember searching through the site and I was like "wait, you mean i can just wash my natural hair, shake it, and then go about my business?" "You mean I don't have to spend 4 hours at the salon?" "Wait, you mean I can sleep on my hair without fear...that I can walk in the rain...that I can love my natural hair just the way that it is?" After that, going natural just seemed like the right thing for me to do.

For me, my decision to wear my hair natural doesn't mean i'm more enlightened than other women who choose to perm their hair...after all, everyone has the right to march to the beat of their own drum. Being natural doesn't mean i'm more spiritual, more Black, or more "down for the cause" than anyone else. All it means is that I like being free to be ME :o) Its been a great journey so far, and I encourage anyone thinking about going natural to give it a try.

Living Happily and Nappily since 2/19/07

General Information

Profile:: Personal
Since:: Friday, June 27, 2008
Gender:: Female
Languages:: Je peux parler un peu de Francais
I'm here for:: Photo sharing

Virtual Gifts

Send a Virtual Gift

There are no gifts yet! Be the first to send this user a virtual gift!

My Cities

Current:

Birthplace:

Also lived in:

Background & Lifestyle

Sexual orientation:: Straight
Smoking:: Non-smoker
Drinking:: Light (social) drinker
Children:: I don't have kids yet
Education:: Grad/professional school
Ethnicity:: Black/African descent
Body type:: Average
Height:: Shorter than average

Interests & Personality

Sports:: Tennis, swimming
Music:: Coldplay, Kanye West, Maroon 5, Lupe Fiasco, Sting, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Young Jeezy, Gym Class Heroes, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Eric Clapton
Movies:: School Daze, A Beauiful Mind, Raising Arizona, Coming to America, Dodge Ball, Wicker Park, Princess Bride and most recently....WALL-E.
Television:: PROJECT RUNWAY, Top Chef, Flipping Out and most shows on HGTV

Friends: