The Hair Journey Continues

Stepping out of my comfort zone and letting my hair go natural and gray was not a hard decision for me. I was told that it would be a difficult transition since I would then be embracing “old”.  The gray part was the easiest. It was easy because the gray was always with me.  I would go to the hairstylist and marvel at her handy work. Then when I looked in my rearview mirror as I was leaving there would be the gray hair sticking out among the vibrant red ones. In two weeks it seemed that all of the family of the gray hair was back at home on my head. There was no evicting them–they knew their rights.

I’d been natural before because I was a child of the ’70s and everyone was natural then.  Being between relaxers and on my way to Barbados, I needed an easy hairstyle so I decided to get it cornrowed and I was off to enjoy the water and the sun.  This proved to be the turning point on going natural.  I was loving it. It was so easy!

I knew everything was going too well.  It takes what seems like forever for color and relaxer to completely grow out.  For a while when you look in the mirror you see three different colors of hair–your natural color, gray, and the one that you purchased. I wasn’t going for the big chop, nope that was never going to happen.  I just went with three colored hair.

Letting the relaxer grow off was not so bad because I kept my hair braided, and as my grandson would say it seemed to be “easy peasy”. Yes, it was.

Everything was going great until Covid showed up.  There was no going to the hairstylist.  I was on my own, and it was not easy.  I can do a lot of things, but not my hair.  Some days I was Celie from the Color Purple, and then in my mind, I saw Diana Ross–the Boss. Then I found a stylist, and we masked up and got a different natural hairstyle.

It seems funny that women of a certain age find it hard to let their hair go to what is now its natural color.  Even Barbie has gotten on the bandwagon.  But in all honesty, Barbie has had a little cosmetic surgery and added extensions to her hair.  She is taking one step at a time.

Remember “thisisyourbestyear”–the color of your hair does not age you, your mind does.  Step out of your comfort zone and live life to the fullest, gray hair and all.