A Penny For My Thoughts: December 2009

- My grandmother said that to me often growing up.

That quaint little phrase in the thick Bajan accent of a born and raised country girl from St. Andrew usually came as part of some scolding about what I'd chosen to do with it that time.

God, I love my Gran-Gran!

She taught me so much about life and people...more than I think she even realised. Little things that were taught to her... little things I almost never noticed, like when she only seemed to like my hair the straighter and longer I wore it...

I remember starting out with bubbles and bows. Then my ohh so exciting graduation to ruffles (LMAO). Cornrows every Sunday evening, then puffs, fuzzes, braids, weave, an afro with headbands...wore it long, did it short- relaxed, texterised then relaxed again. Colours!!

I tried it all...except what I really wanted to: LOCKS. I remember Granny saying "Not in hey!!"

LOL!! (Did I mention how much I love this woman??) WELL, that certainly was the end of that issue. Or was it?

I heard all the reasons from everyone who cared to comment on why I shouldn't: the discimination, the limitation on style, the 'unkept' look it created, the wrong impressions it gave, how unbecoming it was for a professional- a lawyer at that *GASP*

And those who loved the idea: how natural is always best, bun out the chemicals, how beautiful I would look as a daughta (hehehe).

So there I was bombarded by opinions (some solicited, most not) that actually influenced me...that is until I started to find me (around my final year at UWI).

Dont understand?

Consider for a moment India Arie's 'I Am Not My Hair' verse 2:

Good hair means curls and waves,
Bad hair means you look like a slave.
At the turn of the century,
Its time for us to redefine who we be.
You can shave it off
Like a South African beauty.
Or get it on lock
Like Bob Marley.
You can rock it straight
Like Oprah Winfrey.
If its not what's on your head
Its what's underneath...

Eventually Granny and the rest of the fam appeared to have comforted themselves that dreads on my head wouldn't automatically make me a hardened criminal or instant social outcast...LOL, society hear??!!

But I digress right???

Because this blog was supposed to be about my hair...not the illusion of emanicipation or colonial residue or indoctrinated self-hate or even warped restricted definitions of beauty... right???

Sooooooo snip snip...AGAIN!

August 12th at St. Stephen's summer camp with Toni to talk to them about HIV/AIDS and BoUiK's 'Wear the Issue'.

By September 1st 2009 I started my locks. This was a huge year for me in terms of development as an individual, Jah knows.

Even graduated :) October 24th, 2009- Sade N. Jemmott LLB (Hons.)

BUTTTTT I wanted them to be bigger, so your girl combed it out after about 3 months...

Just for a minute though, back in full effect December 7th, 2009!

Feb 28th 2010- starting to get the hang of doing my do :)

Coming along nicely I suppose...2 days short of 8 months :)

After this, I replaced the braid with wool. Just a little while longer, not quite ready just yet...

By November 19th, 2010 I my spirit knew it was time.

Still a little curly from the pin-up but you get the point :)

11 months of self discovery, now onto stage 2 of my locks journey!

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Last day of 2010 and its time to add a little more colour to my life :)