I joined a movement – inadvertently – when I chose to keep my hair natural. I didn’t know other people struggled with the same issue. I thought I was alone in my indecision. In not liking my hair relaxed but doing it anyway because that’s what was expected of me. In hiding my natural hair underneath braided extensions as a compromise. In periodically testing the waters then retracting. I thought I was alone. I thought most women wanted to relax their hair and did it, and that a minority didn’t want to and didn’t. So discovering the herds of black women across the globe embracing their natural hair and supporting each other in the process was a bit of a shock to me. I love it. It is beautiful, the global sisterhood that has come out of it. The local meet ups that have sprung up. It is beautiful that it’s changing the hair product industry to provide what women want. It is beautiful that it’s inspiring women to live healthier, more natural lives beyond haircare. There really are many good things about this natural hair movement.
But sometimes, I get tired of it all. I get tired of all the information being thrown back and forth. I get tired of the self-righteous tone. I get tired of the US versus THEM attitude and most of all I just get tired of talking about hair. All the time. On line and off. I started out this blog by saying that hair is not only hair. But now I really want it to just be hair!
