It's not that hard!

Sweet simple and to the point.  That's how my natural hair routine IS!  I haven't become a product junkie, the economy won't allow that.  I don't think that just because it works for you and we were born on the same day that it will definitely work for me.  My initial day's of my journey were exciting and I was intrigued by the variety of curls and kinks that my sisters in the journey possessed.  However, I made up my mind that I was not going to allow this journey to over take me.  So with that being MY case, I have had the pleasure of having great hair days and dastardly day's.  Days that a hat was all that would tame my mane and days that my curls gave plenty whiplash.  I know that many say it's hard and many say it's a cake walk but in the end it's what do you say!  I say it's not that hard. 

Find your groove, find your lane!  Master that hairstyle and wear it well.  Find that product and make it work for YOU (Whether it's 100% natural or not...after all you don't seem to mind all the by products that you are consuming IE, Mickey D's I'm just saying)  so be the leader of YOUR strands take them by the palm and demand them to listen and let them know it's not that HARD.

Will My New Career Recieve My Natural Strands?

I know that this is a corporate world or society, but are all areas of that society still unreceptive, incompassionate (not really a word but you understand) or plain old ignorant toward our natural stresses.  This is more my point of view than it is a column to inspire or encourage anyone.  Okay, here's the background.  I am searching for a new career; however, I am beginning to feel as if my career search is being hindered by the state of my hair. 

Obviously my skills surfaced above the ca trillion people out there seeking and searching to land the same position that I have applied for yet the return call or initial interview goes to ME!  That alone is something to be excited about and you to will understand if like me you are seeking a new career.  Sadly, somewhere between the call, the interview, and the thank you notes graciously written to exemplify the interviewers words or basically let them know I am still interested...NOTHING!

 I know you think maybe I suck at the interview...Negative I have had mock interviews to drill every question known to man even the unethical ones through colleagues, College professors, friend's, foe's, kid's all putting me in the position of "I'd hire you"  Yes, you probably are saying these people are biased and couldn't drill you as hard as a potential Employer...Negative, I say again.  Many of those mock interviews were done with people who's very career's revolve around this industry and career building, to the point they take pride at having people cry preferably during the process, Shaking my head because I've seen it happen.

I have worn my hair in a bun, the slickest of puffs that at a glance could go for a pony tail.  I have worn my hair super curly and always professional and managed.  Now if you are reading this article and are saying to yourself, (as I initially was) maybe the job just isn't for you, I agree just because I was called and  gave a killer interview doesn't mean that "Uncle Mike" as my competition addressed the interviewer at my last interview, still has to go through the protocol of "offering" the position to other candidates.  Or, maybe your hair wasn't as neat as you thought it was.  I thought this one as well, but had to give myself a raised eyebrow sorta the way they do when they ask me into the interview room. 

If I have to question if my hair is professional enough or accepted for the place that I am interviewing for...then this is not where I NEED or WANT to work.  If my hair in it's tamest form is TOO MUCH for the company applied for, then this isn't where I need to be.  NO, I won't act as such an activist that I refuse career options where the interviewer is so intrigued by my strands that I notice them unconsciously talking to it...okay maybe not so much.  Or that periodically I burst into a "what you lookin' at" or "is there a problem" rant.

I am trying to be reassured after hearing my Arabian Physical Therapist have the need to tell me that he himself preferred African American women that wore their own hair opposed to "the animals they put on there head".  (That is an entirely different hilarious conversation, but reassuring)
 I will simply keep searching and seeking the market that is ready to embrace all of me and remind myself that natural OR relaxed nobody wants an unprofessional staff member representing their company.  So if Jews thick curls, Caucasians flowing locks, and  Asians seamless tresses are accepted in any form then the soft to touch African Americans exotic fullness that my hair possess will wait.

Natural Hair Envy is Why I became a Natural!

Compliments of Google Image

There I was sitting in the mall's food court staring endlessly at a women's hair.  Her curls streamed the back of her neck endlessly, cascaded over her shoulder's effortlessly and shined radiantly under the soft iridescent light of the fluorescent bulbs in the food court.  I remember wondering what treatment or process she used to get such healthy hair. I sat wishing that I had the nerve to ask her where she got her hair done or what product's she used.  And that, is exactly what I did.  I sat there, wishing,  that one day those long flowing stresses would be my crown and glory.  I had no idea of the ethnicity, the process or if it was a treatment.  I just knew that my hair in its relaxed state was not given the body that this girl's hair was.  So I did as many of us would have done.  I went home and braided my chemically treated strands to give the illusion of wavy or curly hair.  Now this may not have been everyones instinct to do but something about the freedom the health and the style in this woman's curl captivated and intrigued me to no end.  After trying thin braid outs that came out to stringy, thick braid outs that came out to limp and wet braid outs that came out too limp. I finally just twisted my hair out and yes, the illusion of the wave was definitely there, but the volume the strength and the sheen were no where in sight.  Why?  I had no idea as to why at the time.  Several years passed and I still had the vague memory of that woman's crown and glory.  I still remembered the strength that ran through both her presence and her hair.  Time went on and never did I think to ask anyone of that hairstyle.  Often in the past if I seen a fly doobi' or rockin' wrap I wouldn't think twice to ask someone or even the person how they obtained that look.  But I never did, I continued processing my hair and chucked her hair up to simply be hair of a different persuasion.  Before long I notice a new fad that had taken place in many of our hair was singing the same song as woman I had encountered year's earlier.  Was the Jerri curl making a come back in a more chic way, was it that more babies of multiple diversities were being birthed, or was there a new brand of weave on the market. The answer for all was no.  They had simply embraced the hair that naturally toiled, turned and curved out of their scalps.  they had embraced the soft and kinky strands that we had all to often forgotten long after receiving that first flat iron, press out or texturizer.  After all, the purpose was to "maintain" or make our hair "manageable".  But why was their hair so tamed in it's natural "skin"

African American women have been rocking there hair in it's natural persona long before Chris Rock's well known biography "Good Hair" hit media.  They have been silently educating through their display of beauty and effortlessly rocked their hair in all it's glory.   From Whoopi Goldberg to Camille Cosby these women have supported and flawlessly grabbed the attention of the media to show that our hair is not only beautiful but fierce.  Our hair demands attention, it demands to be noticed and more than ever it demands to be accepted.  After several long evenings of seeking and scouring to find the answer to what I was silently wanting, I found it, and everywhere.  I found it on Facebook through I <3 Naturalista, I found it on YouTube through YouTube Alumni and veterans such as NikkiMae, Kimmytube and MsVcharles my favorites.  I found it through twitter and blogs such as Naturalsunshine.ning, and CurlyNikki.  I found it through women that decided to break out of the status quo embrace beauty in all its textures and pave the way for many of us to follow.  My journey has just started and it has been just that, a journey.  I have had to explain, encourage, answer and defend my decision to choose to accept the hair that God has chosen for me.  And I don't mind doing it, because if my hair can stream the back of my neck endlessly, cascaded over my shoulder's effortlessly and shine radiantly under the soft iridescent light of the fluorescent bulbs I have did my part in representing our healthy hair.