I was sitting inside of my former favorite coffee shop chain "The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf" in Santa Barbara working, when this jolly faced lady in her mid 60's moved in close to me. I'm used to people making comments, giving me odd looks and/or complimenting my hairstyle. What I still haven't gotten used to, is those people being older caucasian men AND women. I get more compliments about my hair from older caucasian men; then ANY other ethnic group of people. They'll say things like:
. I love that hair do you got going there
. That's some wild and crazy hair you got there
. Now you... You're unique!
. I can tell...you're a wild woman
. Your hair is art
. I wonder if I could do that to my hair
It's just mind boggling to me. When I think of a sixty, seventy or even eighty-something year old caucasian man's idea of beauty, long and silky straight hair comes to mind. Obviously, I'm wrong. Maybe if we stop stereotyping people and putting them in a box, we'll all learn something about other cultures. I know what you're thinking. There Fee King goes with the race thing again. I'm simply speaking the truth. If they were Native-American or Middle-Eastern people complimenting my hair, I would describe them as such. Women of color have fought so hard and for so long for the right to wear our hair in it's natural state. We'v finally gotten some people to stop referring to our hair as the (Negative) Nappy, opting for the more politically correct and softer term of Kinky.
I, personally, find it very flattering that my hairstyle evokes a positive response while making others feel happy. Because I don't have to spend more than two to three minutes daily combing my hair or spend much time at the hair salon, that makes me VERY happy. If my crazy highlighted fro-hawk hairstyle makes people happy and smile, I say that's a WIN/WIN. And life can be a WIN/WIN
www.yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl.blogspot.com
@yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl
yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl@gmail.com
Definitely a win, win! I agree with your assessment that our unique hair texture/hair styles seem to be more of an anomaly to older people of typically STRAIGHT-haired cultures. Younger people of those same cultures, who have been predisposed to cultural "uniquities" via social media technology. I'm confused by the social backlash against those who imitate (and IMO, GLORIFY) cultural styles via their hair, clothes, music, etc. I've always felt that IMITATION is the highest form of flattery -- a win, win~
ReplyDeleteMeant to say...."Younger people of those same cultures HAVE been predisposed...."
ReplyDelete