>Hey everyone! HEY YOURSELF. I tend not to
>start things, unless there is
>a big reason behind it.SO WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR "THIS" POST? OH, YOU STATE THAT BELOW, SO I'M COMPLY WITH YOUR REQUEST FOR ANSWERS:
>So, I am going to
>ask the question...
>
>WHY GO NATURAL? EVERY PERSON HAS THEIR OWN REASONS FOR DOING SO. I'LL JUST SHARE MINE.
>
>I just have to ask because
>there seems to be a
>trend for women to start
>going natural with their hair.FOR SOME IT IS JUST A TREND, FOR OTHERS, IT IS A LIFESTYLE.
>Is this just a fad
>or do you women really
>have a reason for doing
>it that deals with what
>they want or their individuality?IN MY CASE, IT HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT, AND I CHOSE TO STICK WITH IT. MY HAIR WAS DAMAGED FROM WEARING EXTENSIONS TOO LONG, AND IT WAS TOO WEAK TO HOLD MORE EXTENSIONS, AND MY SCALP WAS TOO RAW FROM PULLING THE EXTENSIONS(AND SOME OF MY HAIR) OUT. SO I HAD TO WEAR MY HAIR, FOR SIX MONTHS, WITH NO TOUCH-UP, AND NO EXTENSIONS. I WAS TERRIFIED. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I'D DO WITH MY HAIR. SO I PLAITED IT. I WORE IT WRAPPED ALOT. I EXPERIMENTED WITH CORNROW STYLES. IT GREW OUT SOME, WITH ABOUT FOUR INCHES OF PERMED HAIR ON THE ENDS. IT LOOKED FUNNY. I GOT TIRED OF WEARING HATS OR HEADWRAPS ALL THE TIME THOUGH, SO I JUST STARTING WEARING IT WITH THE HALF-PERMED, HALF NATURAL PLAITS. I WAS MADE FUN OF BY FRIENDS, BUT I LEARNED NOT TO CARE. ONCE MY SIX-MONTH (GROWTH) PERIOD WAS UP, AND I COULD GET A PERM IF I WANTED TO, I NO LONGER WANTED TO. I LIKE MY HAIR WITH NO PERM IN IT. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED MY HAIR WITH NO STRAIGHTENER IN IT OF "SOME" FASHION BEFORE. MY MOTHER STARTED RELAXING MY HAIR WHEN I WAS EIGHT. BEFORE THAT, IT WAS STRAIGHTENED WITH A STRAIGHTENING COMB EVERY SUNDAY, WHICH WAS NIGHTMARISH.
>Are these women just trying
>to play out the Afrocentric
>stereotype or are they doing
>this for themselves? I AM AFRI-CENTRIC, AND I AM MOST DEFINITELY NOT TRYING TO FIT SOME "STEREOTYPE". I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT. AFRI-CENTRICITY IS A WAY OF THINKING, A LIFESTYLE. IS "THAT" WHAT YOU ARE NAMING "STEREOTYPE"?
Now that
>"natural" is popular, everyone wants
>to do it.NOT TRUE. I AM THE ONLY ONE OUT OF MY FRIENDS WITH NATURAL HAIR. GOING NATURAL IS AN OUTGROWTH OF WHO YOU ARE, AND SEEING SOMEONE ELSE DO IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANT TO DO IT, UNLESS YOUR SPIRIT WAS ALREADY "SPEAKING" TO YOU TO DO IT ANYWAY. Are they
>as bad as anyone else
>who follows trends? AGAIN, I DID NOT GO NATURAL BECAUSE OF ANY TREND, BUT IF BEING WHO ONE REALLY IS IS A TREND SOMEONE FOLLOWS, THAT IS A LOT BETTER THAN FOLLOW A TREND WHICH EXHIBITS SELF-HATRED, LIKE COLORED CONTACTS, BLEACHED HAIR, SURGICAL ENHANCEMENTS, ETC.
>
>These are just some serious quesions
>I have on my mind
>for the simple fact that
>I believe numerous women today
>are going "natural" because they
>are trying to emulate Erykah
>Badu, Jill Scott or anyone
>else who created their own
>style. SO WHAT? THEY ARE GREAT WOMEN TO BE EMULATED. IF THOSE SISTAHS ARE INSPIRING OTHER SISTAHS TO STOP PERMING THEIR HAIR, AND TO NOT FEEL THE NEED TO SHOW THEIR BODIES IN ORDER TO ATTRACT A MAN, SO BE IT! HOPEFULLY, BY DOING SO THEY WILL BE LEAD ON A PATH OF SELF-INTROSPECTION WHEREBY THEY EVENTUALLY DEVELOP THEIR OWN "STYLE", AND NO LONGER NEED TO EMULATE ANYONE ELSE. GOING NATURAL IS "ALWAYS" A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS MENTAL FREEDOM, AND LETTING GO OF THE NEED FOR OTHERS TO APPROVE OF YOUR APPEARANCE.
>
>And while I am on the
>subject, can somebody tell me
>what in the world is
>"natural"? HAVING "NO" CHEMICALS IN THE HAIR. WEARING LITTLE OR NO MAKE-UP. EATING A STRICT VEGETARIAN DIET, FREE OF CHEMICALIZED OR PROCESSED FOODS. WEARING CLOTHES MADE OF NATURAL FIBERS. MAKING LIFESTYLE CHOICES THAT ARE EARTH FRIENDLY, SUCH AS COMPOSTING(IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BACK YARD). NO SYNTHETIC NAILS, AND CONTACTS. JUST PRESENTING YOURSELF TO THE WORLD JUST LIKE GOD MADE YOU, AND ENHANCING THAT PACKAGE WITH OILS, OR HAIR HIGHLIGHTS THAT ARE OF THE EARTH(LIKE CLAY AND HENNA FOR HAIR DYE, INSTEAD OF CHEMICAL DYES). Is it the way
>you look according to a
>stereotype or just being yourself?IN MY CASE, IT WAS A WAY FOR ME TO BE WHO I REALLY AM, LIKE ME, OR NOT.
>Think about it. Who makes
>the definitions of what is
>to be considered natural and
>what is considered fake. WE AS WOMEN KNOW IF OUR HAIR IS PERMED OR CHEMICALLY DYED, IF OUR NAILS ARE FAKE, OR IF OUR EYES ARE REALLY GREEN. ALL OF THAT IS FAKE. MANY SISTAHS FEEL THEY NEED SUCH ENHANCEMENTS TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO MEN, OR TO LOOK MORE EUROPEAN, SINCE THAT IS THE STANDARD OF BEAUTY OF MAINSTREAM CULTURE. OTHER SISTAHS HAVE RELEASED THE NEED TO APPEAR ACCEPTABLE TO BLACK MEN BY LOOKING LESS BLACK, AND HAVE DECIDED TO BE THE BEST WE CAN BE WITHOUT CHEMICALLY ENHANCING OURSELVES, OR LIMITING THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE DO SO. FOR ME, THAT HAS BEEN A MENTALLY, AND PHYSICALLY LIBERATING EXPERIENCE. HAS IT TURNED BLACK MEN OFF? SOME. SOME FIND IT BEAUTIFUL. EITHER WAY IS FINE WITH ME, BECAUSE I DID NOT DO IT WITH MEN IN MIND. MY MOTHER TOLD ME THAT IF I STOPPED PERMING MY HAIR, I'D NEVER GET A MAN. THAT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE UNTRUE. EVEN IF IT "WAS" TRUE THOUGH, IT WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED MY DECISION TO STOP PERMING MY HAIR. I HAD A NEED TO BE WHO I AM REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE ELSE THOUGHT, AND THAT INCLUDED BEING NATURAL. I PERSONALLY WILL WEAR MAKE-UP EVERY NOW AND AGAIN. MY HAIR IS HIGHLIGHTED WITH CHEMICAL DYE(WHICH I "DON'T" RECOMMEND BTW). I WEAR LEATHER, WHICH SOME SAY IS NOT TRUE TO A VEGAN/NATURAL LIFESTYLE. BUT EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE CHOICES ACCORDING TO WHAT WORKS FOR THEM, NOT BECAUSE SOME DOCTRINE SAYS THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO IT.
>
>To me a woman with "natural"
>hair, afrocentric clothing, or any
>stereotypical image of being afrocentric
>is fake if they do
>not know who they are
>and why they do the
>things they do. They are
>just followers. MAYBE ONE NEEDS A LEADER INTO A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIVING UNTIL ONE FINDS THEIR "OWN" PATH. WHAT IS WRONG WITH "THAT"?
>
>Let me know what ya think!
>
>
>Thanks... YOU ARE WELCOME.


"Don't Hate the PLAYA Boy...hate the GAME," Granddad Freeman of the Boondocks(7-11-99)

*Twenty-three percent of women are "autoerotic singles" — they prefer to achieve sexual satisfaction alone(source-bet.com)

*If U have won a Grammy, one of two things are at play: 1. Your shit is TIGHT
2. U are white
-(Me)

"'Cuz U answer the phone 'peace' that means U not a freak?"-The Questions(c) Common

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Oooo baby I like it raw. Oooo baby I like it RAAAW!(c)ODB- Shimmy Shimmy Ya