Kinky Hair #2

Malcolm and his friends "conk" their hair in order to appear more "white" and to tame the kinky consistency of their natural hair. Being that Malcolm is a man, I think his incentive for "conking" his hair is, in full, just to appear more white - he doesn't conk his hair in the interest of making his hair more self-manageable to comb and to style, but instead only for purpose of appearance. However, women encounter more severe complications with their kinky, curly hair. Having super curly hair myself, I know the range of predicaments it delivers, from the inside, out. Not only does it physically become a pain to manage and to maintain, but it also fiddles with my self esteem from time-to-time. My hair does not always cooperate, and it certainly requires a lot more care than naturally straight hair does. Within the last week or so, I have been contemplating getting my hair permanently straightened. It's a more difficult decision than it seems, because it actually goes beyond the physical scheme of things. For one, I would love for it to just be straight and no longer a burden to me. I think that having straight hair would expedite its growth and activate the distribution of natural oils. However, I am faced with the emotional and mental issue: Do I really want my concern with my "physical beauty" to defeat my "inner beauty"? Do I really want to "give in" to the challenge of having curly hair? These questions I am faced with are inspired by a "This I believe" article that we read as a class a few months ago, about a woman who struggled to accept the way her hair looked, and then finally came to realize that it has been and will always be a part of her.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95726758

Toya Smith Marshall came to accept and embrace her hair as a token of individual and unique beauty. Because of this, she is extremely inspiring to me. But! Don't be surprised if I have straight/processed hair in a couple weeks! hehehe! 0:]