I had my first press and curl at age eight. When I took a peek in the mirror at the new me, I was so disappointed that I did not resemble the Breck Girl in all the magazine ads. That may explain why some of the girls at my school looked shocked, shaking their heads, hoping I could have lived up to the Pantene-flowing-in-the-wind look I had so proclaimed I’d have.

Just 9 days ago, on April 10, my last lock fell. It was clearly time for a new hairstory in the making! To get a full buzz and see the hairs standing on top of my head like tweety bird, made me laugh. Then I noticed the shape of my head, which had never been seen, even at birth I had a head full of hair. The first comments received were very, very gracious and kind. I decided it would be okay to go out in public without the scarf, and did so.

Thus far, there have been smiles, stares, positive comments and questions from: “You have a beautiful shaped head”, “You wear it well”, “I wish I could be there to rub your head”,  “You have a beautiful face”, “Think Hallie Berry, accentuate your positive features”, to “What happened?”, and little girls not liking it, because hair, especially long Pantene-flowing-in-the-wind hair, is a sign of real beauty in most parts of the world.

I am grateful to be in my ‘right mind, with a reasonable portion of health and strength’, able to praise God, in fellowship with others, take sweet communion in the morning, smile, swim without worrying that a lock will fall out, and getting dressed in the morning quicker! I feel the ultimate freedom I have always wondered and talked about. It will be fun to see how this hairstory unfolds 🙂 It’s all God and it’s all Good!

I am Not My Hair (including lyrics by India.Arie)

Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
February two thousand and two
I went and did
What I had to do
Because it was time to change my life
To become the women that I am inside
Ninety-seven dreadlock all gone
I looked in the mirror
For the first time and saw that HEY….

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within