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.
#YoungHipNatural
Tell her to keep her SWAGG ON !
ReplyDeleteWill Do!! She Has My Full Support... ;-)
ReplyDelete