The Awkward Phases of Natural Hair (or Life)

This post is kind of about my hair, but not completely. I’ll start with the hair though.

I am in an awkward phase. (My autocorrect wanted to put “awesome” instead of “awkward.” Honestly, it could be that too. It’s all about perspective.) Anyway, I had my hair cut down on the sides and back last fall. I loved it. It was boy hair short, like the cut life short, like all you need is a brush, if that, short. It was so fresh and fine. It was a wonderful phase while it lasted, and at the time, it was exactly what I needed to see my own beauty in a different form, to learn to accept and adore another side of myself, and to embrace a more mature look, in my opinion. I had it cut down a second time after letting it grow back in. That was in December, and I have since committed to allowing it to grow back because I miss my afro. So now I have about half an inch of unstretched shrinkage around the sides and back and about 2 inches of unstretched shrinkage on the top with more length in the front and less length in the back. Are you visualizing the awkwardness? I mean awesomeness.

Because this looks sufficiently awkward.

Honestly, though, I believe that, in order to get the best out of my hair, I have to be as positive and creative as possible during this phase. As I’ve learned about natural hair before, controlled chaos is beautiful in itself. So I’m challenging myself to create 6 styles on my hair in the next month. Now that was kind of about my hair, but I’ve found that having natural hair and what I’ve learned about it parallels so many things in life. Like, my hair and my life are twins kinda!

I’ve been in an awkward phase in my life lately too. I was in between jobs for 9 months last year. I’m working 3 jobs right now. I’m still trying to get comfortable in my new phase of singleness. I have dreams and ambitions out the wazoo and am still in a character development phase. I don’t sleep enough, and I’m pretty sure I’m more busy than I am happy. Awkward enough, right?

It wasn’t until last year that I realized what I really want to do. And that’s awkward because having 2 degrees and not being able to articulate what you want to do with them makes for awkward silences and awkward looks. Awkward pep talks and awkward scoldings from your elders who only want the best for you. Even awkwardly trying to fit your squareness into a round job all for the sake of gainful employment. (Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes, you do have to take a job because you nees to pay the bills and be able to have fun.)

What I have learned from being natural is to embrace the awkwardness. Revel in it and let the creativity flow. Don’t force it. Work hard. Don’t make or allow for excuses for your ends not meeting. But work with what you have and if you don’t know what you have, start to explore it. You appreciated your last really great season, just as I thoroughly appreciated my haircut. However, if you’re going to get to the next level, you must focus forward and not lament what you’ve got going on now. This goes for your hair and your life. Keep building. Keep growing.

Awkwardness ➡Creativity ➡Awesomeness. Thank you, Autocorrect, for the lesson in hair and life.

Gavrielle