Breathing Room

Perceptions

I had my first extended conversation with a co-worker on Friday and it happened to be with the other black chick who also happens to have locs like me...( I now have this thing with calling my hair locs and not dreads)

anyway before I spoke to her I admit I had her pegged as a certain type. Nothing bad just she seemed like someone I probably wouldn't end up really close to or anything...she has long locs and she wears small but thick glasses she just seemed a little corny to be honest...

so anyway we ended up getting into a conversation and we ended up discussing our locs. She was commenting on how she liked mine a lot and the length and I was telling her that I was a semi-newbie becuase I'd only been in the process for about nine months but I've learned so much about my hair and its natural texture and so on. So I told her that I like her length and she commented that the longer that her locs grew the more stereotyped she became. She said people stared at her or thought of her as some back to Africa type woman or a number of beliefs that were projected on her. She asked me my experiences and I said I hadn't gotten that kind of attention. Though I honestly admitted that while in college when my hair was processed me and my friends used to classify the chicks with locs as earthy or mother earth types quickly dismissing them as corny, but I realize nowhow it feels to be on the otherside. To an extent.

Really having locs gives you a certain amount of strength and courage because people expect you to be a certain way and having your hair anything other than permed or pressed in the black community is for many sacrilegious. Having straight, fine hair is such an obsession -I know because I used to be obsessed.

As my hair evolves so do I. The changes with my hair can really be seen as a measuring stick to how far I've come as a person, it really speaks to my growth spiritually and personally. I feel Dave is so caught up in how other people see him or what they might be saying about him and I don't care. To a very small extent it matters, but at the end of the day I matter the most.

p.s. I'll have to post a pic so ya'll can see the locs...