Sunday, August 03, 2008

The Nigerian Soccer Team

So as many of you know, I've been thinking of cutting off my dreads for a while now. There are several pros to this:

1) No more hair getting in my way. Once your hair gets as long as mine, it becomes more like a wily animal that you always have to be conscious of, so that accidents don't happen.
2) More current. Here's what's sad. I remember when dreadlocks where hip and trendy -- you know 11 years ago, when I first got them. Lately, I've been feeling like I'm settled down Elvira-style with the same hairstyle for the rest of my life.
3) More environmental. Though, I only have to wash my dreads every other week, it takes a ton of time and water to do. And though I love the overhead spray function on our newish shower, I've taken to turning off the water in between rinse-offs, because I feel so guilty about all the water it takes to wash my hair-- something I know I won't be able to do in the winters, as I can't bear being cold.
4) The ability to change up hairstyles. This goes back to #2. I don't want to be one of those people who finds a look at 23 and then sticks with it for the rest of her life.
5) Meta Reason: I got my dreads the year after my mom died. And I believe like many, that we store a lot of our history and past emotions in our hair. Maybe it's time to let go of those dark times.

But there are also a ton of cons:

1)You have to cut dreads out. I did a short natural for 3 years, and got dreads because I was sick of that hairstyle. It would take quite a while to grow out my hair again. And I kind of want a big, bodacious afro like yesterday.
2) More salon time. I was over an hour late to my own wedding, b/c my hairdresser had such poor time management. Black Salon Time -- having to spend all day someplace in order to get your hair done -- is a huge pet peeve of mine. I don't have the time or patience to spend all day on my hair, and part of the reason that I love my dreads so is that I can maintain them myself. So it would technically be a lot more time and money for me to switch now.
3) More maintenance: Once, every 2 weeks, It takes me 30 minutes to wash my hair, an hour and a half to retwist, and one night in curlers, if I want it curly. Every other hairstyle, from what I understand, needs to be maintained every single day, and yes, I may have become too damn lazy to actually run a comb through my hair every morning.
4) Compliments: I'm still averaging 2-3 compliments from strangers on my locks per month, which ain't bad. Not to be vain, but it's kind of hard to get rid of a hairstyle that literally has people stopping you on the street.
5) Meta Reason: Like I said, I got my locks put in right after my mom died, and they're infused with the memories and discoveries of the last 10 years. Do I really want to let that go?

Anyway, this is all to say that after going back and forth with myself all week, I've finally made my decision. I'll let you know what it is sometime this week.


Also, I wanted to point you to this Yahoo! Sports article. Apparently, the male Nigerian Olympic Soccer team is spending too much time on their hair, according to their coach, and he wants to make all of them cut off their locks.
Nigeria’s Olympic football coach Samson Siasia has warned his players that he expects short hair and correct clothing for the Beijing Games, a federation spokesman said on Friday.

Siasia, known as a stickler for discipline, believes that his players are devoting too much time to their elaborate hairstyles, time which he believes could be better used in fine-tuning their performances.

And the coach goes as far as to claim that players with short hair are more aerodynamic and so find it easier to find their rhythm on the pitch.
How quick would this coach get shouted down if it were the Women's Nigerian Olympic Soccer Team? These players need to fight for he right to wear their hair however they want too. Read the full article here.

Despite this, I'm getting really excited for the Olympics. What a way to break the summer TV drought.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what'd you decide?

Ernessa T. Carter said...

I'll let you know later in the week. Promise.

Jennifer May Nickel said...

i love your dreads! they are gorgeous!!! but i'm sure you'll look fabulous without them too!