Confession: I've been a bad, bad girl...

I've been careless with my delicate hair. I kept going from style to style without washing or conditioning for about a week and a half. I started with a wash 'n go, then I went to a twist out, then some up-dos.  When I finally sat down to detangle it was bad...really bad.

I was in the last week of a 30-day finger detangling challenge (no combs allowed).  I soaked my hair with water and used a ton of conditioner, but I still lost a lot of hair.  My ends were so raggedy and rough I ended up trimming a full 1/2 inch off the ends. *shakes head* I basically lost a month's worth of growth. 

As sad as that makes me, I also gained some styling experience. I'm still trying to decide whether or not it was worth it, but I'm determined to view every learning experience on this journey as a positive.

Procrastination and Perfection

I let my first anniversary with natural hair pass by without a blog post.  It was July 23rd.  I had this whole Natural Hair Journey slide show I was gonna do...but I kept putting it off.  Then the day was upon me and it wasn't done...or rather...it wasn't done perfectly.

If you know me, then you know these two themes dominate my life.  So much doesn't get done because I put things off until they can be done perfectly, and if I can't do it perfectly I won't do it at all.  One of the lessons I've learned this past year is that "perfect" is a limiting qualification.  It doesn't allow for error, creativity or collaboration.  Sometimes something imperfect is still right.  And sometimes submitting a rough draft gives you the opportunity to get ideas from others.  Obviously I've learned this lesson somewhat imperfectly, but I'm a person in progress....still learning, still growing.

So here's my imperfect hair journey documentation...no slide show...no music...just me!

Big Chop July 23, 2012 (TWA)

 

 

October 2012 (Afro)

December 2012 (Fro-hawk)

 

March 2013 (Braid-out)

 

July 2013 (Wash 'n go)

 

Today (Braid-out)

 

My first flexirod set on natural hair

I finally convinced myself that my hair was long enough for a roller set so I did flexirods.

There wasn't a whole lot of rhyme or reason to the way I put them in.  I only have 24 flexirods and I was just trying to use all of them, but still not make any section too large so that I'd have to separate it a lot.  I very gently misted each section with water with a little coconut oil in it and my Curls Unleashed Curl Creme.  I detangled with a detangling comb, then a fine tooth comb, wrapped the end with curling paper and rolled on the flexirod.
This morning I took out the flexirods and papers and carefully rolled each section back up.

Some of them were a little damp still, but I soldiered on.  I covered my hands in coconut oil and started separating the curls, twirling each separated section into a little drop curl.  The first curls I rolled right in front were kind of fuzzy (I didn't put enough product on them or smooth them well before rolling) so I pinned those areas back.
Here's the final look:

6 Months Natural

When I started this Natural Hair journey, I decided not to use heat or color for the first year.  I'm halfway there and I already have ideas of what I'm going to do, but in the meantime I thought I'd celebrate this milestone with a few poems I've written. Enjoy!




A Natural Acrostic Poem

Never imagined how much
A simple haircut would change
The way I see myself
Unique and strong and beautiful
Real hair meets real life
All eyes on me and I'm
Loving it!





Natural Haiku

Springy coils and curls
Smiling boys and flirting girls
Rain or sun we shine

Every Marriage is Work

I have a few single friends that are ready for marriage.  In speaking to them, one thing that either doesn't occur to them or it scares them, is that marriage is work.  This is a truth that is inescapable, but it isn't a truth that should be dreaded.

The worst marriages are like a demolition job, tons of energy going into tearing down each other and everything you've built together. Without proper care, people will get hurt and when you're done there's nothing left but rubble.

Some marriages aren't as tragic...they're more like clearing the brush from an abandoned piece of property. It takes a lot of energy, there's a possibility of getting hurt and sometimes it's best to bring in professionals before too much harm is done. When you're done you're left with a bare piece of land. You might be able to build something on it, if you've still got the energy and/or desire.

The best marriages are like tending a garden. The work is done lovingly and with pride, working with nature instead of against it. The resulting paradise is worth every drop of sweat.