Reader questions.....

So I got a question from Keisha about "crinkling" locks and the possibility that doing it too much would cause them to break off. Well, as I sit here just finishing braiding mine for the 15 thousandth time, I would say that as long as you are careful and take care of your locks then I don't think that you have much to worry about. Also, I guess that it depends on the method that you use.

I simply braid my hair after I wash it and let it dry then take them out. And I have been doing this about every 2 weeks or so since 2002....

Also, Sunsail, did you ever see my reply comment to your question on the New Years Resolution post? I know it was forever ago, but I thought I would check....

I was the victim of an elevator hair fondling!

So this week has been my first week of work and I am meeting and seeing a bunch of new people, and they are seeing me.....and my hair.

This afternoon when I was leaving for the day, I was waiting for the elevator and the woman I was waiting with told me that she liked my hair and asked how I got it so uniformly wavy. So when I get these types of questions, I always answer them with the assumption that they do basically understand that I have locks, which I know is not a foregone conclusion. I have adopted this strategy partially because recent experience has shown me that not all white people are ignorant about black hair and also in an attempt to keep the conversation short. Sometimes I don't feel like being the approachable impromptu black hair educator for the majority. So, I just told her that I braid it after I wash it and let it dry and then take it out after it dries.

DING! The elevator arrived and I was saved.

But then, I got on the elevator with about 10 people and the woman standing to my right, who was about as tall as my shoulder says "Pretty Hair!" and reaches out and touches it. Now, I am in an crowded elevator so what can I do? But I really wonder.... what is with these people and their impulse control problems!?!? I mean, would you see a woman wearing a dress you like and say "Nice Dress" and then reach out and start touching it? No! Why? Because this is not socially acceptable behavior. Now, I am not sure why people decide to dispense with social norms when they see my hair but it is annoying! I suppose I should be flattered but still.....

13!

What is the significance of this number you ask?

Well, Brunsli's post about her 4 year lockversary reminded me that I didn't post about my 13 year lockversary! Yeah, 13 years..... Can you believe it!

It is actually not anything that I would readily remember and recognize at this point except when people stop me and ask me questions about my hair.

As I have said before, I am immensely happy with it and can't imagine myself any other way!

Calling for advice/suggestions from my fellow bloggers

I am looking for help with two very different geographically-specific problems that friends of mine are having. I thought I would put them out to they blogging community to see if any of your can help and/or have suggestions....

First, I have a friend who's 8 year old son decided a few months ago that we wanted to have locks. So he has been growing out his hair for a few months and now they are ready to get his locks (palm-rolled) started. Does anyone out there have suggests for a good place in the Atlanta area (preferably in Cobb County) where his parents can take him to get his locks started and maintained? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Unfortunately, since I have always maintained my hair myself I am not a good resource. Hopefully, one of you will be!

Second, a friend of mine called me because a friend of hers is in a dilemma. She is scheduled to arrive in Paris tomorrow to start an exchange program for a quarter. Unfortunately, she and her roommate were scammed and have no place to stay! It seems that they had found a place through Craigslist, like a lot of their other classmates, and sent in a $2000 deposit in October but when her roommate arrived earlier this week, she discovered that the building where the apartment is supposed to be does not exist! So, they are out of a deposit and are scrambling for some place to stay through the end of March. Does anyone know of anyplace in Paris that does short term rentals or have any suggestions for where they might look? They both have places to stay for the next few days but need to find something more permanent.

Thanks in advance, my Blogger fam!

I made it back, blog sighting and other stuff...

So to make up for my middle seat on the way to LA, the airplane seat gods made it up to me, by giving me an aisle exit row seat on the way back. It was great!! So much room I didnt even need to consider reclining.

The next day I committed to working the table for my b-school at a recruiting event with the Admissions director. I figured it was a good way to do something positive and remind myself of positive steps in my career. Plus, I could talk to the admissions director about my recent turn of events. I had a lot of fun, talking to bright-eyed women, excited about embarking on the next stage in their career and talking up my school. And the admissions director reminded me that there is an alumni career services guy at our school so I am going to contact him.

Also, this was the site of my first blog recognition. I walked in the space where the event was going on and was greeted by this woman with a cute little 1 1/3 - 2 inch afro. She pointed me towards the area where the school tables were and then said.....

"This might sound strange but you look like someone I saw on a blog recently."

"That could be possible," I said, holding my tongue,

She continued, " I know it sounds weird but I remember something about your friend who just came back from Japan and I remember a picture of you with some bald guy...."

I was a little taken aback! I was getting recognized from my blog! "Was this recently?" I asked.

"Yes"

"That was me," I fessed up.

Turns out, she has been looking around at blogs about natural hair as she contemplates what to do with her own. It was wild!

Another hairstory from this event was a conversation I had with another admissions director from a different business school. We were on a bit of a break and had wandered to the hors d'ouevres table only to find that most of the food had been scarfed up. As I was balancing a plate with some dried out roast beef wrap pinwheels and pouring myself some iced tea, this woman came up to me very enthusiastically and told me how much she loved my hair. I was starting to brace myself for the myriad of questions like I hear from people who aren't familiar with locks, but to my surprise, she was very knowledgeable. It turns out that one of her co-workers in the admissions office has locks and she proceeded to tell me about how when she interviewed her for the position, she told her that she just had to stop and talk to her about how cool her hair was befor they went much further so that they could get it out of the way. She then told me about how her co-worker is always going in and getting new styles and proceeded to describe the latest style. When I told her that I hadn't been to a salon since I started my locks almost 13 years ago, she was floored and then asked me questions about my regimen and if I had ever trimmed them. Who would have thought that there would be all this talk about locks at an MBA recruiting event!?!?

Mentoring.....

I meant to blog about this a while ago....

A week or so ago I was in step class at the gym and this woman who I had said hi to from time to time in class came up to me to tell me that she was going to start locking her hair. She asked me questions about how I started my locks and just some other general advice. It was sort of cool! She is currently growing out her relaxer and has put braids in to keep herself from messing with it.

I am happy for her and wish her the best of luck on her journey. And I will get to see how it is all progressing every week in step class!

New babies!

So as most of you know, I have been growing my locks for over 12 years. And, through the process, I have discovered that some parts of my hair was much straighter than I every knew, namely the hair around my hairline on both sides of my head, behind my ears, and at the back of my neck.


Interestingly, I am happy to report that this hair has finally started locking! So I have about 10 new babies!

Don't ask me why the hair started deciding to behave but it is like a little rennaisance for me. :-) Complete with all the challenges with keeping them from sticking out in funny ways....


I will admit that for some of the straighter hair in the back, I have commandered/borrowed/interpreted some sisterlock techniques to get the locks to stay. I have also discovered a product that I actually like and think is making a difference. I have actually simplified my regimen over the years and don't put anything in my hair to help with keeping my locks together. I used to use a beeswax/sheabutter/orange oil mix but stopped using it about 8 years ago because it didn't seem to make an appreciable difference.


But Brunsli gave me a bottle of Jane Carter's natural Hold Locking spray and I have to say, I really like it. I have used it on the new babies and even started using it on my entire head after I wash my hair (along with my Bumble and Bumble Tonic spray and Jojoba oil for my scalp.) I like it because it seems to provide some additional hold to keep the newly retwisted new growth neat without any build up.



So, I am making a rare product endorsement. Give it a try for yourself.

My lack of hair (posts)

So, I am sure that you all have noticed that my posts are less and less about my hair. Well, there weren't all that many to start with. I have had my locks for 12+ years and to be quite honest, I don't think about it all that much. But isn't that all our goal?

• To have hair that we don't have to worry and fret over...


• To have hair that you are proud of


• Not to have the watch the weather forecast with trepidation hoping for dry skies so that there will be no frizz....


• To not be constantly searching for hair products to make your hair behave... (Well, that was my goal... can't say it was the same for Brunsli!)


• To be freed from the constant wasting of time at the salon.... (I have a good friend who goes to get her hair done every Saturday at 12:30pm -- that is just not for me!)

So I guess I have acheived that! I only think about my hair about every two weeks when I wash it or on the occasion when I get in a conversatiion with someone about it... So increasingly I am concerned with other aspects of my life, and my posts reflect that. I don't find that my hair gets in the way or anything that I have tried to accomplish. I mean, after 12 years, I have interviewed with it (many times and at various stages, not all of them that cute!), worked with former government officials and ambassadors with it, gone to grad school with it gotten 3 jobs with it.

I am basically free of hair angst (except for the occasional worry about the new little locks that are starting along my hair line), and it feels great!

But just because I don't talk about it much doesn't mean I don't love it!

A little change of pace....

Inspired by the fast that my hair didn't fall down when I fell asleep with it up after taking a shower last night, I decided to wear my hair up to work today! I am typically the kind of person who, when they find something that works, sticks with it until it doesn't work anymore so typically I haven't diverged from hair down or back in a ponytail at work. But hey, who said there is anything wrong with changing it up every once in a while.

So here we have it! And I happened to get this cool spiral effect going on too... Who knows if I will be able to duplicate it again!


I will say that about mid day my neck started getting a little tired! My hair doesn't typically feel heavy to me but it when I have it in a bun it is just so much more compact and concentrated...