Day 11: Five Years Strong

* me singing* Dooo you know what tooday isss?? It's my loc-a-versary. Loc-a-versary...

*grrr*

Five years have passed since I made the final decision to loc my hair. Summer was ending and I was off to start my junior year at Grambling State University the following morning. Patiently, I sat while my mom double-strand twisted my thick, kinky coils, blonde highlights intertwining with the otherwise jet black strands. I was excited.

before the transition

There is no deep back story as to why I chose this permanent hairstyle. And although I'm pro-black in most aspects, my decision was not dependent on such. Plain and simple, I love the look. From the varying styles women rock daily to the automatic sex appeal booster it gives to men who take pride in their hair, I wanted to be in the number.

When I initially voiced my interest in this style, my mother was married. My then stepfather simply stated that I could not get them. If I could re-enact the many ways my face scrunched up, I swear I'd snap a pic and post it here. I'm more than positive it said something along the lines of "What the f*ck?!" Like, who was he to tell ME what to do with MY hair, of which HE didn't have to comb? Had I not been apprehensive about starting the process then (I was a freshman or sophomore in high school at the time), I would have done it out of pure rebellion.

My decision to loc my hair was one I made on my own. *Confession time* There are some cases where I have allowed others to think for me or sway my decision. With this, I took the time, weighing the pros and cons. I made an informed decision and followed through. Often times, I'm asked what I am going to do when I grow tired of this look. Will I cut my hair off? Honestly, I didn't think that far. At the time, all I knew was that I wanted the look and that it was conducive to my athletic lifestyle.

recently became a redhead (shout out to Ledisi for the inspiration)

If one day I wake up and I no longer want to deal with this, maybe I'll shave 'em. Maybe I won't. For now, I'll enjoy them.