Happy Monday, Meltingpot Readers.
I feel the need to update you on the progress with my hair. So I explained on Friday that I planned to chop off my dredlocks, which I did. Sort of. I chopped (technically my cousin chopped them for me) off about three inches of locks leaving me with a raggedy bunch of dredlocks that barely graced the top of my ears.
Then rather than cut the rest off, I decided to un-lock them. That's right. I decided to painstakingly pull apart about two years worth of untouched hair. And even though conventional wisdom says once hair is locked it can never be unlocked, I know otherwise because I've done this once before. Actually my husband, cousin and I did this once before and it took the three of us one full week to unlock my hair. We're on day three now and we're still not done. At about 11pm last night I couldn't remember why I thought unlocking my hair was a good idea, nor could I remember at 8:30 this morning as I was dressing for work looking at myself in the mirror and wondering what on earth I could do with the hot mess of twists, locks, and braids sitting on top of my head that would look presentable to the outside world.
My solution? I wrapped my hair in a lovely head scarf that my auntie brought back from a trip to Senegal. Paired with tasteful gold hoop earrings, I think I'm rocking a very nice ethnic look today. Thank you Erykah Badu and Jill Scott and all of the other neo-soul celebs who made wearing African hair wraps a chic statement of style. And duh, to my African sisters who did it first.
I think I'll be done tonight with the unlocking process. And even though I've ripped out enough hair to probably knit a sweater for my new daughter, I still have a lot of hair on my head to work with. I will be consulting the new book Curly Like Me by the awesome Teri LaFlesh and visiting websites like Naturally Curly and Hair Rulesfor inspiration and education.
Black hair really is a unifying force. Communities are built around it and language and culture forge it together. I am still in awe of how powerful the shared experiences of working with Black hair is. If you don't believe me, check out the website Black Girl with Long Hair and tell me you don't feel the love. I know I do.
Peace.
4 comments:
I'm loving that 'Black Girl with Long Hair' blog. I was about to say that the content is great, but the name is strange, then I thought, people in glass houses... right??
Anyway, I'm hoping, against all hope, that you'll post a pic of your post un-lock look. Come on, Lori... Whaddya say???
I've unlocked my hair twice before. I think it took me about a week each time. It's hard work.
I want to see a picture of you with loose hair too. You should post one.
This is why no one in the world will catch me with dredlocks. I often imagined myself as "black Rapunzel" and some guy saying "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" But my hair has never been down my neck or even to my shoulder. And definitely not to the point of someone using it as a ladder. I hope I'm fortunate enough to find a man who is as patient with my hair as your husband is with yours. You're very blessed indeed to have a man like that.
By the way, will Prince Alfons aka Angela and Max of Lichtenstein's child get dreds? I'm curious to see how his hair looks or will look in the future. Random topic, I know but I was shocked about Princess Angela! She should be in the history books because she's MADE history!
Ieishah,
Maybe... but I gotta work with it a little more before I go publc
Lovelyn,
See above. And yes it was hard work. My head still hurts from all of the pulling and tugging.
Dee,
I agree. Princess Angela should be in the history books.
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