Do I agree? Absolutely.
So I did the big chop again, accidentally.
And by accidentally I mean...
I didn't wake up on the last day of 2016 thinking, 'today I'll cut my hair.'
Every woman has an emotional relationship with her hair, whether it's hers or she bought it.
I'm convinced there are only two types of women, those who wear weave and those who don't. Excitement in my life has always come by virtue of whatever hairstyle is on my head.I remember being in 10th grade, 16, and totally unsure of myself while trying to grasp an understanding of the young woman I was becoming. So I cut off all the relaxed hair on my head, leaving about 4 inches of coily kinks. The emotions ranged from excitement to discomfort. I searched the internet to see other black girls like myself with natural hair. At that time, there were about two forums. There were no popular black youtubers talking about hair in 2009.
There were no established hair care products except for carol's daughter.
So I awkwardly wore my fro, then my braids consistently.
I remember discovering that my hair determined who approached me and how they approached me.
That discovery will forever play on the highlight reel of my life.
If I wanted corporate attention, I knew that straight mid length would be my goto.
If my desire was for strangers to refer to me as exotic, then I needed some dreadlocks aesthetic.
Fast forward to 2016, and as I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and held three faux locs in my hand, the voice inside screamed "Do it!"
I couldn't shake the feelings that it was now or never.
The singular question I've received since trimming my tresses is: "Why?"
The why is always silently followed by "why did cut off all your hair?" and audibly followed by "But I like it, it looks good."
So while I typically try to encourage you to live your best life through biblical insight, I think sharing part of my life is necessary at times.
So Why, did I, Obioma cut my hair.
Because someone suggested it, and for whatever reason, I couldn't shake the thought.
Because I truly wanted to take a leap of faith. I wanted to trust that something so permanent could be such a good thing.
Because I wanted freedom, freedom from weave, freedom from the cultural standards of hair.
Because I wanted to affirm my confidence. Was I really comfortable with everyone having access to my full face? Was I truly comfortable with people witnessing my every blemish and flaw? Was I actually confident in myself?
Because I wanted change. Ultimately, I knew there was no turning back.
Cutting my hair is my victory cry for 2017.
Truly I'm excited. I know this year is going to be a year that is unforgettable by every account. I hold God at every promise, and wait longingly for the fulfillment of each and every one.
All my love,
Obioma
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