Believe it or not, I didn't always love my locs. In fact, I realllllly didn't like them.
And here's proof from one of my older posts...
Told you. And that was only 8 days after my locs were installed. But wait...it gets worse...
But I did. All because I wanted to achieve this...
But didn't want to go through that...
It's easy to understand that but hard as hell to go through it. I found that blogging about my journey made it worse because it was a constant reminder that I had a loooooong way to go. I was silly and anxious. Impatient and intolerant. All over hair. I now understand why they say that loc'ing your hair is a journey. Just wait and see how your thought processes will change. How your ideas will change. All prompted by the change and growth of your locs. It's amazing.
And it's worth the wait. I encourage y'all to hang in there. Surround yourself around like-minded folk. And I'm not saying all of your friends have to have locs but it is important to have a nice and strong support system. Follow blogs, read books, visit online resources. Educate yourself about what your hair is doing. This is a new journey and to go in it blindly will indeed lead to frustration. Even if you decide to loc without a professional, visit locticians in your area. Ask them for a consultation. Most will do so without charging you. Talk to other loc'ers. Get inspiration, advice and support from them.
And celebrate milestones. Made it through Month 3? Celebrate! Managed to get a ponytail? Celebrate! Colored your hair stupidly 4 times in a year and didn't loose any locs? Celebrate! The more you thoroughly enjoy and acknowledge the loc'ing experience, the greater you will feel about yourself and your locs.
Now the UP side to blogging my loc journey is that I am able to look back. Each month I celebrated my locs. I look back at photos and am amazed at how far I've come. This, I think, is a must. A visual journey will keep you motivated. Document your journey. Write about it. Vlog it. I can't tell y'all how many YouTube videos have inspired me to hang in there. And all these ladies were doing was talking about their locs. That's it.
Educate others. If they ask "Why does your hair looks like that?" Tell them. If they want to touch the locs...slap them (hehe). I am the only loc'd lady in my family. I get a lot of questions. And lot of disses too. I don't care though. The more people ask about my hair, the less ignorant they will become. And the less ignorant people become, the better this world will be. Am I right, or am I right?
Yes, people may give you funny looks. Yes, people will assume that you don't ever wash your hair. Yes, people will probably think you're Rastafarian, vegan, super Afro-centric, a neo-hippie, unconventional, etc. Yes, people will judge you. You may be the only loc'd lady in your office, classroom, social circle or group. You may actually stand out.
And you know what? I don't have a problem with it. I have embraced it and I love it. India Arie says "I am not my hair" but I disagree. My hair tells a story. It is strong, unique and versatile. It is constantly growing and changing.
And so I am.
Love your locs and always ALWAYS love yourself!
