the beauty of bald.

July 20, 2011 | Filed Under Health, My life changed when..., Thoughts | 6 Comments 

Approximately six years ago, I relaxed my hair for the last time. It was the day before my graduation and wearing my hair natural had been on my mind for several months, as I could no longer justify putting a dangerous chemical directly on my head to straighten my hair for aesthetic purposes while actively seeking to eat organic foods; it was a silly contradiction and I immediately understood it as such.

Almost a year later, I cut off the relaxed ends and wound up wearing a teeny weeny afro that I initially hated. Nothing was wrong with it per se, I just thought my curls would be looser, bigger, more flowing. I wanted my hair to be longer than it was. There were times I’d look in the mirror and cry: what had I done? Why did I do this? Yet, there was such a strong knowing that I was at the point of no return; my last relaxer was the last relaxer. “I’m undergoing a paradigm shift,” I’d tell myself when I needed comforting.

When you begin to wear your hair the way it grows out of your head after years of manipulating it to specifically do otherwise, you’re suddenly confronted with your ideas about beauty in general, your individual beauty, and your people’s beauty.

Many women consider it to be a quasi spiritual experience, and, honestly, that’s no exaggeration. It’s a reawakening. To yourself. To your beauty. To your ancestry. To healthy self-esteem.

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My life changed when I ate grapefruit

February 24, 2010 | Filed Under Consider this, My life changed when... | 2 Comments 

As a child, I watched my grandfather eat grapefruit regularly. Eager to be like him, I requested to taste it, and hated it. What was wrong with the man?

A decade and some change later, I’d drastically changed the way I ate to manage my migraines. Processed foods had become a decreasing part of my diet, while natural foods became the foundation, so my taste completely changed. While perusing the grocery store for new foods, I found myself staring at a grapefruit.

Hmmm…

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My life changed when I chose to fully believe in purpose

July 14, 2009 | Filed Under My life changed when... | 1 Comment 

I was once a half-hearted fatalist.  Everything happened for a reason, but the undesirable moments were flukes.  “What did I do to deserve this?  There must be some kind of mistake.”  As such, I fully embraced the victim mentality and chose to believe I had little power over outcomes in my life.  I was wading in a pool of uncertainty and insecurity, and downright miserable because of it.

There was, however, a turning point.  Read more