Free at last!

So I got my sisterlocks this weekend. 38 hours! It was definitely a journey! See when you sit in a chair for 38 hours, you have lots of time to contemplate life, I really could've plotted total world domination in that time lol! But it got me thinking about the standards of beauty that we as black people hold ourselves to. Two completely different females, who might hate each others guts can at least agree on one thing...The Black Woman's Hair Struggle. We've all been there. Relaxer, texturizer, braids, weaves, grease, oil, hot comb, flat iron, chisel, wrench!! But really though thinking about how much I've put on/done to my hair in my lifetime is quite shocking. At what point did I decide that my natural hair was not good enough? not sure, I actually have no memory of having natural hair, I must've gotten relaxer slapped on my head at a very early age. I can't really blame my mom though, with 4 daughters to care for...she probably felt like relaxer was the only way out. But all my life I've been fighting to convince my hair to do just the opposite of what it naturally wants to do, so about 3 years ago I decided to give up the fight. Went downstairs into the basement and just snipped my hair all the way down to the 1" of new growth that I had. The look on my mom's face when I came back upstairs cannot be described. She didn't say much, likely because she thought I was crazy and didn't want to provoke me. Getting sisterlocks was like someone saying..okay, enough now. So 38 hours of liberation lock after lock was nothing compared to the years that I've been a prisoner to my hair! It was long, but well worth it, at the end of the last lock the consultant and I actually hugged! You get really close to a person when they've been in your head for 38 hours. So here's to being set free and being able to devote time to the more important people or things in my life!

In poetry world...I signed up for the Edmonton Poetry Festival in September, I'm looking forward to hearing from them. I also finally sent in a membership form for the Stroll of Poets Society

aah!!

I got 12 sample sisterlocks today!!!! July 18th...the final lockdown! I'm beyond excited!!

The journey begins

Night of fire was great! I really need better ways to get over my nervousness though. The show was at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, which is a pretty large and intimidating venue. Definitely the biggest place I've performed so far, which would explain why I was so nervous. I changed outfits about 5 times, and then finally settled on what I had arrived in lol. I was in a state of internal chaos up until I went out on stage, as per normal. I got really calm while I was actually up there, and then as soon as the last words leave my mouth it's chaos again and the need to get of the stage as quickly as possible. The show was great though, and I'm proud to have been a part of it.

So tomorrow is a pretty big day for me. Not too long ago, I made a decision to get sisterlocks. I've wanted to lock up my hair for quite a while, but never really knew about sisterlocks or considered them as an option. Well after much research and contemplating, I've decided to take the plunge. I get my first set of test locks tomorrow, which I'll keep in for a few weeks before I get a full head done. I am so excited! Like any other black female out there, I have been battling my hair for what feels like a lifetime. Natural to relaxed, long to short, color to no color. Braids, weaves, ponytails, wigs, twists...all of it! I've been there, and I'm just so ready to set myself free from this hair! And to the girl who helped me make this decision, thank you! And I'll be here to welcome you into the fold when you get yours :)

Other than that...nothing new to discuss, I've got a few things kind of in the works that I'll write on later.

Be beautiful without permission - Bassey Ikpi