Self-Reflection Sundays: On today's episode of "It's Just Hair"...
For the past few years, I've been going back and forth, and back and forth with my hair; to keep it loc'd or to wear it out? That is the question. I got my first perm during the summer before 6th grade, and it wasn't because I wanted to per se. It was because I was teased (no not by the neighborhood children, not even by kids at school, but by people at church). Before all of this, I had really long hair, natural hair before I even knew of the term. Saturday was the day set aside for washing, parting, oiling with Pink Lotion, and platting or twisting with ballies - the usual style for church and school the next week, except for the special styles that came for a holiday when my mom would say, "Don't let anyone touch your hair". Somehow though among my peers and the older youth, my hair was not "acceptable" and it needed to be permed. Once when my aunt came in from out of town, she ended up straightening my hair for the very first time. The next day ...