Tomorrow Afternoon at 3:30

Tomorrow afternoon at 3:30, I'll be doing one of the following:

A) Going to see the Dark Knight
B) Flopping around on a "Slip and Slide".
C) Cutting my hair off
D) Going home to Los Angeles

Which one do you think I'm doing?

As much as I'd like to do all four of those things tomorrow afternoon, and buy a winning lottery ticket on top of it all, alas, only ONE of those fabulous choices will actually be going down.

If you guessed "D"
-- One more week, folks. One more week and I'll be back in my beloved El-Ay.

If you guessed "A" -- Nope, because I haven't stooped to going by myself yet. I'm waiting for my sister to stop saying, "It looks too "dark" and scary." Um, yeah, because it's called the "Dark Knight", m'dear.

If you guessed "B" -- Nope, that was yesterday. Or rather, I was trying to flop onto the Slip and Slide, but I found I just could not throw my body to the ground like you're supposed to. I'm sorry, but a bit of plastic with some water running on it doesn't scream to me, "Flop onto me, please!"

So that leaves, cough, option "C" on the table.

I still can't believe it myself, but I do indeed have an appointment to get my hair cut off tomorrow. Courage is needed because as I type, I'm sort of I'm in the midst of a freak out over it. I need to relax and try to convince myself that it's just hair. It'll grow back.

How much hair am I getting cut off?

I'm not really sure. But after a year of growing out my relaxed-to-within-an-inch-of-it's-life hair, all the scraggly, bone-straight ends have got to go. My natural hair is like four times thicker and healthier. I also keep getting these really bad tangles where my kinky/curly natural hair meets the straight hair, and I can't stand it anymore.

My hair when it's not curly comes halfway down my back. But my natural hair is maybe only six inches long. Maybe longer. I'm not sure. But who knows what I'll be left with at 4:30 tomorrow.

Wow, this time tomorrow night, for the first time in my entire adult life, I'm going to have short hair.

Short
NAPPY
hair.

Short + Nappy.
Nappy + Short.

It's a combo that our culture teaches black women to hate and despise from the time that we're small. We're taught to run from Short + Nappy, not towards it. What I'm undertaking tomorrow is the beauty equivalent of me trying to throw my body onto a Slip and Slide.

I have no idea what I'm going to look like when I come out of the salon. EEK!

Wondering what brought this decision on?. Well, I've been thinking about cutting the relaxed ends for several months now, and I never summoned up the courage. Plus there is always someone there to say, "Don't cut your hair. You won't look good with short hair." Or folks wanna know what I'm going to do with it after I cut it off. "You're not going to just wear it out in public like that, are you?"

Sigh.

This morning when I decided to get it cut, there was so much going on, so much reminding me that I really have to seize the day. I have to be fearless and just take the plunge. And besides, my sister tells me that if it looks totally crazy, she'll get someone she knows to hook me up with a weave.

Gosh, me plus a weave? Then I'd really be ready for my return to LA!

Wish me luck!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hello Dear,

Keeping my fingers crossed for your cut. I am sure you will be fine and look fabulous!


I have been natural for a number of years (since 95) and was trying to get my hair long - very long.


Pretty much it was long, but I had a lot of shrinkage so the length didn't show.



Until last year when my usually sane stylist suggested putting a relaxer in my hair "for a few minutes".


It was the worse decision I have made in a long time. It made my hair much longer, but it was soooo stringy, my product doesn't absorb,there is no curl (at least before I had curls), it tangles more, and well I am just po'd.



I am trying to hold on to it because of the length, but it is breaking off anyway.


I don't understand why people don't learn to work with natural hair and why just like with a relaxer - there is always some strange set of events that converge to force me to cut it off when it gets mid back length.


Sorry for the rant. tee hee


Wishing you all the best! :)
Jameil said…
"You won't look good with short hair." ????????? THEY CAN KICK ROCKS!! you'll do great! and feel really free once you do it! i started w/maybe an inch of hair!
1969 said…
You are going to look FABULOUS. Your hair texture is beautiful. All you need is some Miss Jessie's Hair Pudding (google it), a pair of hot dangly earrings and your natural do will be soooo Diva.

Good luck Liz. With your face....it's not about the hair ;)
Nerd Girl said…
I'm sure you'll be lovely - can't wait for the "after" pics! Going natural has been one of the best decisions I've made in my life - I love my locs and wouldn't trade them for the world.
jillybean said…
Enjoy the freedom of being having short and nappy hair. I loved my short and nappy hair for 17 years. It's long and nappy and sometimes blown out and curled, but it is in it's natural state. No chemicals for me. So, take the plunge with a smile to be totally happy and nappy:)
Dena said…
cutting off hair is empowering! go, liz, go!

and sorry about flaking the other day! i just had too much goin' on before my trip to philly.
Lola Gets said…
I didnt know you still had permed hair on the end - go for the cut! Im so excited...you have to post pics!

Oh, Im scared of the new Batman film too. Its gotten so many great reviews - both professional and blogger - that Im thinking about seeing it, but Im too frightened!

L
Mamita Umita said…
CUT IT OFF!! Do it! I did it two years ago and it was great to start anew.
Jen said…
You'll probably look fabulous - you do now, from what I've seen. And how much cooler for the rest of the summer!
Lisa Blah Blah said…
Sweetie, I am pretty sure you could shave your head and still look fabulous. Come back to LA with a rockin' new look! :-)
Anonymous said…
I'm so excited for you - at least you know. I'm like jumping up and down that you are listening to YOU and doing what YOU want. Hair is hair - beauty comes from the soul.

It's shocking - you may freak at first - give yourself a week. But I bet you'll love love love it.

Nappy short and all!
Whoo Hoo!!! Do it! I tell my family all the time "It's just hair..." I am actually growing out my hair and twisting it. I use products from Curve Salon (curvesalon.com)

My hair is nappy and I'm happy. LOL

What I do with my hair depends on my mood. Next week I may feel like going back to Millenium Barbershop on Crenshaw and have Qiana cut it all off again. Who knows?!
I use Curly Pudding and the Baby Buttercreme for moisture. Again.. curvesalon.com (They are based in Brooklyn)

Expensive though...
the last noel said…
Okay, I'm worried about you. I understand that women who cut off their hair are looking for a change in their life. Um, that's my hairostrology for you.
Anonymous said…
Going natural was one of the best decisions I ever made. Though my hair was thick as a child relaxers made it so thin and weak I hated my hair for years because of it. I've never looked back in my 7 years natural and there's so many great products you'll find your groove quickly. Either way do whatever makes you feel beautiful and don't worry about the rest.
Liz Dwyer said…
Aphrodite,
Thank you SO much for the good wishes. Your story is quite the cautionary tale for me because I can definitely see how what happened to you could happen to me down the road. Right now I'm all gung ho because I've spent a year growing out my insanely overprocessed hair, but who knows what sorts of temptations could lie ahead!

Jameil,
And apparently I'll also never get a "real" job again. Hmph!!!

1969,
You're so sweet to say so... I've got some sample sizes of Miss Jessie's back in LA and I tried them on my eldest. They did nothing for him, but we'll see what happens when I get home. :)

Nerd Girl,
I'll probably write about this, but I think I'm going to give it a week before I post any pictures. I need to figure out how to work with it a bit more... and some of the straight ends that are left need trimming off. They're so pesky!

Jillybean,
Seventeen years!!! That's fab! I am really enjoying it so far. It's fabulously freeing to feel like I took such a big, courageous step and I'm still alive! ;)

Dena,
It's very empowering -- and also very interesting to see other people's reactions. And no worries. I figured you were busy.

Lola,
Sure did. My hair grows pretty slowly (or it least it feels like it does) -- so it was about half permed, half natural.

And I'm scared of Batman too. Really scared. But it's worth it, because Christian Bale is, um, HOT! ;)

Mamita,
Cutting mission is complete, for now! It's REALLY different, but the kids both love it, so that's a good thing at least.

Jen,
Thanks for saying I look fabulous. I don't feel so fab so often these days. I need a nap -- or to go to bed!

Lisa,
I was just thinking about you today and wondering how you and the baby are. A shaved head would sooo hilarious. Not sure how fab I'd be but I'll take your word for it.

Claudia,
Yeah!!! I was SO incredibly nervous and now it's turned out all okay. I'm still alive and I love it! I think I need to go get some of the straight ends that got missed all taken off, but other than that, I'm sooo happy. I also need to figure out how to style it better than I know how to now.

Joy,
I'll check out that site and I may have to hit up that barber shop when I get home because I still have a few straight ends. I also need to figure out how I want to style it -- and it totally depends on my mood as well. I'll keep that barbershop in mind when I come home.

Joy,
Yes, Miss Jessie's is some expensive stuff! I like the smell of the Baby Buttercreme but not the smell of the regular buttercreme.

Noel,
I'm a little worried about me sometimes, too. You're totally right. I am looking for change in my life. This extended trip has made me see how much I do need for some things to change.


Yolanda,
Relaxers totally make my hair super thin as well. It starts to look like limp dog hair. Not cute at all. Congrats on your seven years and I can't wait till I get that far into the natural journey.
Anonymous said…
Think about how fabulous Robin Roberts looks with her short 'do.
Liz Dwyer said…
Heartsandflowers,
Good point! She does have short hair now due to her cancer, right? I'm sure it looks lovely on her.

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