Shock or not... This is who I am! (Going Natural)

Just the other day I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in over a year. I was doing some grocery shopping and I didn't actually notice her at first. As I continued shopping I seen someone looking at me! I didn't pay it much attention, I just kept shopping. Every now and again I would see this lady looking at me. Once I finished shopping I headed for the check-out counter. Low and behold, I see this lady again. This time she walks up to me and says I look like somebody she knew but she couldn't place my face. I get this all the time. For some reason or another I have that kind of face that people think they know? Anyway, I looked at her again and this time I remembered her! I said to her, "Yes, you know me"! I said, "We worked together on a project for my business a year or so ago"... She looked real hard at me then said, "You can't be Jackee"? Yep, I replied to her. She continued looking a me with a strange look on her face. She said, "Girl, you've changed! What happened to you? What happen to you're hair? I remember you having long pretty hair? What happened?" I told her that I had been wearing a wig and now I've decided to wear my natural hair. Then her looked changed to puzzled. "Girl, why you wanna do that? You're hair..I mean wig was so pretty! I mean I'm not saying you don't look good now, but long hair becomes you". At this point I knew I was ready to end the conversation quickly! I didn't like the way it was going. So I politely told her I was on my way somewhere and it was nice to see her again but I've gotta go! I paid for my groceries and walk out of the grocery store a little puzzled myself! How could she say "long hair becomes me"? How could me cutting off my hair cause such a reaction? You should have seen the look on her face! Her reaction said more than she did! I wasn't prepared for the reaction of seeing someone from my past. I don't think I've changed at all. I still feel like the same person. Cutting my hair had nothing to do with my intelligence or anything! But some seem to judge based on looks and hair. Was my hair that important to people?

After returning home, I thought about the lady I ran into at the store for a long time. Who would have thought that my hair would cause people to look at me so differently. But that is what has happened. This was the first time I ran into someone with a reaction quite like hers, but I've ran into people who look at me different since I've went natural with my hair. Yes, I've gotten rude comments sometimes and cold stares. Not many but some. When I decided to go natural, I did it for Me! I decided to show my natural beauty more! I decided to see how long my natural hair would grow! I could have continued to wear the wig until my hair was a certain way, but I didn't! I tried that and I got caught back up into wearing the wig instead of my hair. The only way for me to go natural was to step away from the wigs and hair extensions and just do it! So I made the choice at the beginning of the year to go for it! I shaved my hair to its shortest point and I've let it grow from there, naturally. I haven't worn a wig since then. I am proud of going natural and I'm glad I did! It doesn't matter who likes it or not. Why should I feel stigmatized by wearing my natural hair? All the costs and up-keep of wigs and hair extensions can be steep! Now that I'm getting older, who has the time for all that work! It's easier to go natural. I no longer have the time or the patience to work on my hair for hours and hours. Going natural has allowed me to do other things instead of always worrying about my hair. What matters is that I'm satisfied with my hair and myself. I feel more free now! I'm excited to see how long my hair will actually grow! I'm willing to face whom ever doesn't like it or whom ever might want to give me cold stares, because I'm doing this for Me. No approval from others needed. I'm too old for games and always trying to please people! Natural is the way it is, take it or leave it... Take me as I am or leave me alone! My new motto, Natural & Proud...