I woke up one day and realized I really needed a relaxer....My roots were too long. Wait. Did I really just think that? "My roots are too long." If that doesn't sound like an oxymoron of sorts, then I don't understand the definition of the word. Why do I want to change my roots? Why have I been for SO long? I know why.
I was raised in the suburbs. The white to black ratio in my old elementary school was probably about 15:1, easy. My mom would braid my hair, and the kids would call me Coolio. They weren't being mean, but it was the only person they could identify my hair style with. I didn't blame them. My hair got longer, and thicker. My mother got sick of dealing with it. I saw all the celebrities with straight hair. SWV, Halle Berry, Aaliyah, etc. This is before India Arie and Jill Scott. It was just "normal" where I grew up and in society for black women to have straight hair. I wanted that look, too. My mom started relaxing my hair when I was about 12. I remember it clearly; my grandma doing the back section, with my mom and my aunt at each side. I am now almost 28 years old and every 6-8 weeks I've had to put a harsh chemical that is also used for drain cleaning directly on my new growth and scalp. Yeah, it doesn't feel good either. The longer you leave it on, burning your scalp, the straighter your hair will be.....and the more chemical burns you will have, but hey- pain is beauty......right......(sarcasm, anyone?) Then comes the blow-drying and flat ironing. 4 1/2 hours later, I look like "myself" again.....WHAT?
I am not saying anything against anyone who wants to relax their hair. That would be entirely too hypocritical. Its what is right for each individual. I am just shedding the "old me"....the one who had to literally run from rain (it'd be funnier if it weren't true). The one who felt my hair had to look a certain way in order to be accepted. The little girl who thought her hair was "nappy" and any shot at getting a job in a professional environment meant I better look something like Angela Basset and not Erykah Badu. Its only been 3 1/2 months since my last relaxer, but the longer I go, the better I feel about my decision......See you around, Conformity.....
