My trip to the salon to get my first natural hair do was December of 2006. I left the salon and I looked like this…
Everyone at the salon was very complimentary but I had knots in my stomach… I was stripped of my long hair, even though it previously belonged to an innocent young girl in India or was manufactured in a lab somewhere alongside the hair used for Barbie, it still validated my beauty. I know for many of you that is not the case but unfortunately I had stooped that low.
The next day was Sunday and I would be taking my first trip to church with my new look, which I knew would be the truest test of my resolve. Before I would have to make that nervous trek I left the salon and went to my friend Jilly Woo’s house for some reassurance. I took a moment and put fresh lipstick on and some earrings so that I could make the best first impression possible.
I went in sheepishly with a huge question mark on my face. She was more than welcoming… she loved it!! and has been an Afro Champion of mine ever since.
When I left her house, the negative self-talk took a back seat and a sense of soul satisfaction in my natural beauty began to grow.
The next morning I got ready for church and did the best with what I had to work with.
As we got closer to church I was battling one of the most toxic worries of all time… WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK?
I thought I was going to buckle at the knees during those first few weeks while I reintroduced myself to friends who didn’t immediately recognize me. BUT you know what?? I didn’t get chopped off at the knees, I may have pitted out a few times but I survived. More importantly the internal growth that was taking place in me was monumental.
Don’t be a victim to those fears that enslave you. ‘WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK? The answer to this is… I don’t know. The bigger question is why does it matter so much? When you accept you, then others can begin to accept you, and then you can begin to start living the life you were born to live.
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