Monday, March 18, 2013

Niece Going Natural (Month 1)




Lamariya "Lah Lah" Hamilton

It has been a month and my niece Lamariya (Lah-Mar-Ree-Ya) is going strong….  The first week was a little challenging because she dealt with the initial response from her friends and school mates.  Although this was the case, she still remained positive and committed to her decision of transitioning, “returning to her natural hair texture”.

Here’s a look into the first month of a teen that’s transforming herself from the inside out as she goes through the process of “Going Natural”.  


 1st Month Experience:

My first month was very interesting… When I walked into the school, I got multiple looks, some good and some bad.  But, I continued to go on with my day.  My literature teacher liked it and many other teachers too, but she liked it more.  

Kids said it wasn’t bad, but the guys gave me more compliments saying it was something different and I looked “hipster”.  It felt better not flat ironing my hair and getting relaxers…  It feels really good!  But, people don’t understand being natural, they think it’s a poor nappy look…

A lot of people looked and some even pointed at me, but it’s all about confidence.  And plus they had long straight hair; so they didn’t have much to complain about or do with their hair, so they can’t fully understand where I’m coming from.


Pro’s/Con’s:

  • I don’t spend much time on it in the mornings; I can do more with it too.
  • No relaxers, saves money and it’s easier to maintain.
  • Lots of time is spent on twisting at night.


Peer Pressure/Positive Support:

Of course there’s peer pressure because when something different happens everyone doesn’t like it.  Teens today are unoriginal in my opinion.

One of my friends didn’t really like it…  But, she doesn’t have hair like mine so I would expect that.  However, now she “loves it.  My other friends really liked it, which feels great because I need their full support.


Influence:

Surprisingly, I’ve influenced some people with my decision.  3 of the girls I attend school with started going natural.  One of them I know, she says she’s tired of flat ironing too.  So she stopped, it looks cute and she loves it.


Challenges:

Just doing things differently and not really being accepted was a challenge.


Final Thoughts:

I just want to continue and see where this goes until my senior year (Freshman @ Chattahoochee High School)…  If people don’t like it “O Well,” I’m going to be myself whether people like it or not.

We'll see you in another month…  So stay tuned as we continue this journey in the life of a 15 year old teen that’s transitioning and transforming her mind and outlook about natural hair and what’s BEaUtiful.   

#YoungHipNatural

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