Happy Locversary to me! I got my locks cut....but not off

Today my babies turned 7 yrs old.  Who would have thunk it?  I go back to work tomorrow, so I'll have to add videos, pics and major updates to this post before the week is up.  Check back. Blessings...

And she pleaded, Don't Cut Your Hair

My Sisterlocks are well known at my school, more amongst the students than the teachers.  In class, I get to educate the students about my hair, natural hair, types of locks, and especially the care and maintenance.  Boys and girls alike of all races ask lots of questions.

We had picture re-takes this past Thursday and on Monday night, I called myself shampooing, oiling (this Texas weather is crazy) and bantuing my locks to have a nice snazzy style for my pics and to have a good 6yr photo.  Well, I got tired/lazy and only bantu'd the front.  I didn't take a picture of what it looked like, because my camera is dead, but the kids immediately noticed the curls up front.  As usual, my AA boys and girls, mostly, "Ms. E., your I like your hair!"  They love, love, love, when I curl my locks or do something different other than free style.  I don't blame em.  I guess looking at me could get a little boring day after day with little or no changes other than wardrobe.

Two of my female students walked by looking in amazement commented how different my locks looked.  I swear, only the front 4 inches back were curly.  The back was pulled up into a pony tail, that oddly looked awfully long down my back that day.  One said, "Would you cut off your locks?"   I said, "I've thought about it and I might."  The other jumped in, "Don't cut off your hair!  They're so long!"  This one rarely talks, but had something to say about my pondering of cutting my locks.  Mind you both girls have perms, which they actually keep up and pulled back in ponys nicely.

But, there's something about long hair.  And I think as well, there's something about knowing that the long hair a black girl/woman sees as real, meaning that person's hair, is amazing.  I'm not going to lie, when I look at pictures of my locks or see the back in the mirror, I am truly amazed.  You have to  understand, I've had hair care drama my ENTIRE life.  Even before I knew what hair meant to me as a little black girl, I found out the hard way.

If you see how my hair looked straight, or with a bald fade, or with my Q-Braid extensions, you'd know it's been a journey.  From Day # 1 with my Sisterlocks to today, has been quite a journey.  So those of you who have daughters, neices, cousins, friends, don't preach, just model before them the love you have for your locks and having natural hair.  Show them you can be sexy, confident, educated, accomplished, and beautiful with your hair in its natural state.  And even if I decide to cut my locks one day, I do have the confidence to know it will indeed grow back as long as I want it to.

Those of you who teach or are around young children, especially girls, what has been your experience with them and your locks?  Please share.

Pre Sisterlock Hair Style

This picture was taken a month before I got my Sisterlocks. I managed to wear "Q" braids quite well and always got a lot of positive attention concerning my hair. The pain of it all was having to drive into L.A. from Orange County to get the hair. So I tried to "stock up" whenever I made the trip to Inglewood.

Faded Glory-Houston Thanksgiving 2002

I moved to Southern Calfornia (Orange County) 2-6-02 from Sacramento. I cut my 9 inch natural hair off three days after arriving because I didn't want to go through hair care drama finding someone to do my hair in yet another new place. I wore the fade/twa until I had enough length to get into braids and ponytails again. The twa got boring and as funny as it may seem, at this point I had forgotten all about getting Sisterlocks. The day after that next Thanksgiving 11-28-03, I was sitting in a chair for over 8 hours, getting my Sisterlocks! The rest is history.

This is a picture of Jen and me one year almost to the day prior to me getting my Sisterlocks. I had short hair the first time in my life by choice. We took this picture Thanksgiving Weekend in Houston, Tx 02'. We're looking pretty serious here, huh?

Jen was turning over a new leaf in life, moving to live with me in Sunny Southern California. She'd cut her hair down to the quick six weeks before this photo was taken so that didn't help much in having folks tell us a part. Thanks to big brotha T.H.U.G. for taking such wonderful shots!