This has been the year from hell, in many ways than one. I haven't had so much drama around me in all my 39 yrs on this earth.
I wrote Mama Always Be Teaching three years ago. Now we have found out perhaps what the problem is.
What do you do when a loved one doesn't believe anything is wrong and is not willing to seek help? Please pray for our family. We need it.
I've had this happen to me and on occasion, I'll have someone email me asking me to discontinue their relationship with the LHBE because of the insane amounts of emails they get in their inbox or cell phone. The problem with that request is, the emails are not coming from the LHBE.
I think a lot of times when folks start researching natural hair, and especially Sisterlocks, they are directed to either lockitup, which I often refer folks to, or the the Locked Hair Blog Exchange. The main difference between the two is, the LHBE is not interactive, per se. There's not a lot of back and forth posting and multiple posts about folks updates and hair issues and the such. Lockitup, on the other hand is par for the course.
Here's my recent response to a sister who wanted to make the emails flooding her blackberry go away:
Over the years while I have maintained the Locked Hair Blog Exchange, I've often checked out my stat counter map of visitors. For the longest I couldn't understand why the visitors weren't more evenly distributed across the nation. Finally today I figured it all out. The first picture below shows the visitors from America, Europe and Africa. You can see clearly that the East Coast and Europe are heavy with visitors.
I think anyone who has never experienced an earthquake can truly imagine or understand what goes on in your mind while it is happening. Most of us within the past week and a half have had more shocking footage fed to us with the help of technology through news and internet social media sites than ever before. In some cases, it is inconsolable.
When I lived in Southern California from 2002-2005, I experienced a light 4.8 M earthquake September 3, 2002, but nonetheless, an earthquake. I was living in Irvine with a family who rented me a room for $500 a month. My bedroom was upstairs facing the street. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting at my computer hutch and it was about midnight. Not sure what I was doing up that night. But I was up, on line surfing the net.
I actually heard it before I felt it. The walls grumbled. Almost like someone was drag racing outside. Before I knew it, my bedroom began to waggle. I sat there thinking, "OK, the house is rocking from side to side. I'm in an earthquake". I became immobilized, eyes fixed on my monitor, in a complete daze. I couldn't move. It felt like eternity, thoughts flashing through my mind that if the earth split its belly open, I might get swallowed up. Before I knew it, the house ceased moving, however, my computer monitor was still rocking back and forth. It creaked. I stared into the screen, but looked into nothingness. I was jolted back into reality, grabbing the monitor so it would stop. I doubt I was even breathing during the entire episode. How could one think to breath with the thought of potential imminent death ensuing?
My earthquake experience was nothing compared to that which happened about 5pm Tuesday January 12, 2010. Not many people in this generation will ever forget that day. I know I wont. Trying to pull away from the "train wreck" and see something positive, I stumbled upon a CNN IReporter's behind the scence footage at JKF capturing the return of Americans on a flight from Miami to New York. Her name is TonyaTko.
The video is a bit long, but shares a variety of testimonies from the folks as they arrived back to New York. I think I've seen a video or two of hers on youtube. Be encouraged, be inspired, be filled with hope, but please know there is plenty work to be done. Plenty. I gave $50 to the Red Cross last week. I don't think this will be my last time giving. Just gotta space it out. If you can give, if only $5+, a week, a pay check, a month, please do. You can give to the Bush/Clinton Help For Haiti Fund or the Red Cross.
My Sisterlocks are well known at my school, more amongst the students than the teachers. In class, I get to educate the students about my hair, natural hair, types of locks, and especially the care and maintenance. Boys and girls alike of all races ask lots of questions.
We had picture re-takes this past Thursday and on Monday night, I called myself shampooing, oiling (this Texas weather is crazy) and bantuing my locks to have a nice snazzy style for my pics and to have a good 6yr photo. Well, I got tired/lazy and only bantu'd the front. I didn't take a picture of what it looked like, because my camera is dead, but the kids immediately noticed the curls up front. As usual, my AA boys and girls, mostly, "Ms. E., your I like your hair!" They love, love, love, when I curl my locks or do something different other than free style. I don't blame em. I guess looking at me could get a little boring day after day with little or no changes other than wardrobe.
Two of my female students walked by looking in amazement commented how different my locks looked. I swear, only the front 4 inches back were curly. The back was pulled up into a pony tail, that oddly looked awfully long down my back that day. One said, "Would you cut off your locks?" I said, "I've thought about it and I might." The other jumped in, "Don't cut off your hair! They're so long!" This one rarely talks, but had something to say about my pondering of cutting my locks. Mind you both girls have perms, which they actually keep up and pulled back in ponys nicely.
But, there's something about long hair. And I think as well, there's something about knowing that the long hair a black girl/woman sees as real, meaning that person's hair, is amazing. I'm not going to lie, when I look at pictures of my locks or see the back in the mirror, I am truly amazed. You have to understand, I've had hair care drama my ENTIRE life. Even before I knew what hair meant to me as a little black girl, I found out the hard way.
If you see how my hair looked straight, or with a bald fade, or with my Q-Braid extensions, you'd know it's been a journey. From Day # 1 with my Sisterlocks to today, has been quite a journey. So those of you who have daughters, neices, cousins, friends, don't preach, just model before them the love you have for your locks and having natural hair. Show them you can be sexy, confident, educated, accomplished, and beautiful with your hair in its natural state. And even if I decide to cut my locks one day, I do have the confidence to know it will indeed grow back as long as I want it to.
Those of you who teach or are around young children, especially girls, what has been your experience with them and your locks? Please share.
To think that I've been so busy as to not mention my 39th birthday, which was on the 9th of this month is just plain sad! I went to work that day and my students sang happy birthday to me in every class. Some made me hand made cards and brought me gifts. They are just too sweet!!! We'll I'm well on my way and all is chugging right along this school year. Sixth graders are a unique age group. They are coming into finding their identity and enjoying freedoms middle school provides. They also remind me of how I'm getting older. I consider them my kids because I'm old enough to be their mothers. I think in some ways they think of me as such. Some even tell me that some of the stuff I say is what their mom would say. The mantra is, love your students and they will love you back. I concur. Thank you Dr. Michael Wesch and especially your wife Sarah.
OAN, Jen's got her own updates, she's hopefully posting on her blog soon, but I wanted to post a few pics and discuss this Hair To There or aka, HTT. I must admit, I was used to having other peoples HTT for years, but to have my own has got me really thinking what is this all about. Next month will make 6 yrs of me having Sisterlocks and it has been an amazing 6yrs.
But as my locks grow longer and longer, I can't imagine how ladies who have longer Sisterlocks even manage. I'm curious about those who think having HTT is what this journey is all about. I must admit, I NEVER in a million years would have thought my hair could grow this long, EVER! But, in the same breath, I truly miss having a length that could be shampooed, rolled and styled a lot faster and would last a lot longer. I don't know. I'm curious to hear from those who are on the quest to having their locks grown down their backs. I'll post more later.
I'm teaching at the same school, Carver Academy. This time I'm teaching only 6th grade math. My children are adorable and most work hard and are eager to please and learn. I decided about two weeks ago to shampoo, condition and bantu my locks. The kids noticed quickly, my new "do". It was so cute, when most of the compliments came from my little AA boys. "Miss E, you look pretty today
...I like your hair...you look really nice today." The girls gave compliments as well, all colors, but to think that adding a little curl made all that whoopla was interesting. The curls came out tight and are still squiggling around now. Jen's promising to help me finish retightening my hair this weekend, so I'm looking forward to another shampoo and set. Maybe this time, I'll try soft spike curls or a braidout. I used setting lotion and stayed under the dryer. I know when I do that after bantuing that the style will last well into two weeks like it has. If I use no setting lotion, I'm lucky if I make it a week. My locks are getting soooo long. It's hard to believe that in 8 weeks, I'll be celebrating 6 years with my Sisterlocks. Amazing! I'll update more after my birthday.
Stumble It!
