As for me...My hair was relaxed at the age of 10 and at the age of 14, I started straightening my hair and wore it that way ever since......until I went natural. I now wear my hair in styles I cannot believe myself. Puff balls, 2 braids to the back, twists all over my head, a bun to the top back and side....you name it! (You could not have paid me enough to wear my hair like I have it in the photo below, before I went natural).
But the question is.....why am I mentally able to wear my hair in these styles now and could NOT have done it when my hair was relaxed?
I ask these question because I am constantly educating people on natural hair, and I recently came across a young lady who said she would consider going natural but she does not like the Afro or kinky look. But I find this amusing because I felt the same way at one time. After I cut the last of my relaxer out, it was as if a veil was removed from over my face. It seemed as if a weight was lifted off of my shoulders...I felt FREE! Even as I transitioned for 16 months, I felt as if I was on the path to something good and that I had a personal goal, that I WAS going to achieve.
But where did all of these emotions come from? Why were they even there in the first place? People who have been natural all their lives...do they feel this way, or is it only the people who went from relaxed to natural hair? Why do I now feel as if I can wear my hair like I want to, and dare someone to look or say something ignorant?
What are your thoughts on this topic?
~Courtney~
