My Dreaded Journey....

Just over two months ago I embarked on a new adventure. An adventure that I had longed to take since I was a wee child. If you've read my blogs.....you'll know I planned on dreading my hair. Yep.....at 43 years of age I decided I had waited long enough to do the things I wanted to do. It took approximately 13 hours to do my whole head and was broken down into 3 visits. This is me after my first visit.

Just the bottom was done and the top of my head was still all straight hair. Man....that was difficult keeping the straight hair from the tangled hair. I went through many different feelings. Nervous that I would sit through this entire process and then HATE IT. I was scared that I would miss my lovely long shiny hair......and sometimes I do but I can honestly say after two months I am in love with my locs. This has become a journey for me. I know that sounds ridiculous. It's hair for crying out loud. However in a sense it's like a transformation.....a metamorphosis. I have wanted this for so long and for so many reasons I was not allowed to. I decided that no one but me should have the power to make such decisions and through this I am finding "Kelly". The person I think I always was on the inside but sadly, a watered down version of her to please everyone else. After my second sitting I was even more scared. It felt weird....it looked weird....and how on earth would I figure out how to manage my new hair????

That's just it, I had to learn to leave it alone and TRUST IN THE PROCESS. If you know me, you know patience is NOT one of my strong suits. Annnnnnd not being able to manipulate my new found locs was surely going to drive me INSANE. [short trip I know] The other thing that would drive me insane was not washing my hair. Why on earth do people think you suddenly stop washing your hair??? I understand they are baby dreads and we want them to stay in but I ask you this.......what tangles better.....greasy oily hair or freshly washed hair with no conditioner??? Clean unconditioned hair wins hands down. I'm sure I may get flamed by many a dread head but meh.....who cares. I am letting my hair knot up naturally. No products are in these dreads. Sure it may take me longer but I'll get there, all we have is time. This is about me and my journey. People can tread your path with you but.....no one can walk it for you. Do what makes you happy. When my hair was finally completed I was exhausted because it was 1am and I had to open the store in the morning. My head looked like I had stuck my finger in a light socket. SCARY. However I was too dog tired to worry about it and I fell into bed and slipped off into dreamland. The first few weeks were interesting. My hair did some funky things. Some days it stuck out all over. Other days it was flat. Extra frizzy on humid days but all in all. I loved it. This is me at work a few days after my hair was completed.

Yes, you are seeing that right. I wear a lab coat on a daily basis. I am a Natural Health Consultant. That's right. People entrust me with their health and wellness. I wondered if I would get treated differently because of the stigma that comes with dreads but I am happy to announce that I have not had a single bad thing said to me. Oops.....that's not entirely true. After an entire year of radio silence from my ex husband low and behold he made contact. His first words spoken to me were your hair doesn't look very good. LOL Well Sweetheart......your opinion stopped counting a long time ago. Other than that I have had nothing but compliments from young and old alike. I have not gone a single day without someone saying they suit me....they love them....can they touch them.....and my favourite is, I've always wanted to get dreads but I never had the courage to do it. I love that one because I know EXACTLY how they felt. My boyfriends reaction was the best. He hadn't seen my hair done. We had had a small disagreement via text late at night and I was just in that kind of mood. I jumped up out of my bed, into my truck, flew over to his house and barged thru his door like a bull. I musta looked wild. Hair everywhere.....probably something like this....

Half way through our "rational adult discussion" he smiled and said in his very calm demeanor "your hair is finished". He grabbed a hold of my thick locs....wrapped his hand up in it.....pulled me in close and planted a big kiss on me. Argument came to a screeching halt. **grins** Gawd I love that man. Did I mention I love that man???

My dreads continue to have a mind of their own. They are knotting up nicely. Still a long way from maturity [kinda like their owner]. I get bumps and lumps, kinks and congos starting. [congos are when two dreads start dreading together] I just rip them apart and carry on my merry way. Everyday brings something new. They especially show off my new WHITE HAIR!!!! WTF. No one warned me of this. Apparently they can't look too bad because while back to school shopping with my teenage daughter, I had a very young man hit on me.....not once but twice. My daughter shows no mercy. In her very sarcastic tone she asked the young man....How's that working for ya. LOLOLOLOLOL He announced that he was striking out all over in regards to her Mom. I was flattered and it stroked my ego nicely. This week I go back to my friend to get my babies cleaned up a bit. I have a lot of stray hair and some joining together in the back that I can't quite reach. I look forward to all their stages. I feel like as they are change...I am changing. I know.....I know...ridiculous but it's the truth. My true self is emerging. I think I'll be a cool old crone. Signing off for now. ~kelly