Who's Looking?

So with my decision to freeform my locs, arose so many feelings and anxieties. Personally I like the look of my hair and to me there are more pros than cons that come along with the decision to freeform. Then, I had an epiphany...as I looked at the list. Check it out!!!!

Pros

No product buildup

Hair can be shampooed as often as I like

No fear of overtwisting, thinning locs

Encourages a simplified regimen

More focus can be placed on care and health of hair

Cons

Manicured appearance is lost (depends on perspective)

Societal stigmas and prejudices will be faced

Negative stereotypes (unclean hair, unkempt, etc)

People asking me when I am going to get my hair done

People staring at my hair with disgust and ignorance
Interviewing for jobs

What I noticed about these lists were that all of the cons dealt only with the thoughts and perspectives of other people and this lead me to embrace freeforming as a lifestyle to apply to all areas of life. I have felt the stares, but have yet to have anyone to actually say something to me about my hair. I have decided that I will try my best to educate them, but if their inquiries and tones require that they be educated and blasted I will do both simultaneously, served with a smile!

This list has really opened my eyes to so much in my life. It made me question...Who's looking? This simply means when you view yourself and make decisions that will affect your happiness, whose eyes are you using to see who you really and whose standard of beauty and standard of life and living are adhering to?

What this list suggested to me is that for me to NOT choose to freeform would mean that I value to world's view and the opinion's of others more than that of myself. When I began to take this approach it made me know that I had to choose and decide based on my own feelings and desires. But it also made me curious to explore myself more in this manner...to see what is really underneath it all.