Life without My Curls
Sometimes, I imagine my hair having its own personality and voice named Courtney. Courtney is sassy, witty and a little bossy. I imagine her saying things like, “Honey, we need a lot more Curl Keeper today – have you seen the humidity?!” and “If you don’t give me a deep conditioning treatment stat – we’re breaking up…literally.” While sometimes I find Courtney annoying, I have come to embrace her and of course, my natural curls, as a part of who I am. On the rare occasion when I straighten my hair, I feel like I’m cheating on Courtney and on myself. I consider my curls to be a part of my identity and something that has helped shape not only my haircut but my life!
A life without my curls would be…
…irritable. If anything, my curls have made me patient. One hour to wash, detangle, deep condition and style; four hours to air dry completely; years to grow out; and three minutes to ruin in the rain. Patience is a virtue that curlies learn quite quickly and thanks to it I can sit through hours of insufferable nonsense without turning prickly – unless it has anything to do with Rob Ford.
…way too serious. Curly hair is associated with a sense of being carefree, confident and approachable whereas straight hair is perceived to be serious and efficient. While I am actually a kind of serious and quite proficient person, I like that I give off a happy-go-lucky vibe. Curly hair is also an easy and light conversation topic that helps break the ice.
…unscented. Curly hair products smell amazing. I don’t even need perfume – a flip of my hair and a lovely scent is left around me. I’d much rather have the sweet aroma of my hair products than whatever that smell is coming from the office kitchen fridge!
…confusing. My large mass of curls make me pretty easy to find in a crowd. Instead of wearing a red and white striped sweater à la Where’s Waldo, I need only let down my hair and wait for my friends to find me. Without my curls, search parties would be a lot more confused!
…flat. I want really flat, limp hair…said no one ever. While I sometimes curse my volume, I secretly enjoy that I can say that I’m two inches taller because of it!
…richer. I’m pretty sure I’m among the top 1% of shoppers at my local drugstore with a good chunk of my pay cheque going towards hair care products. While I may be monetarily richer if I didn’t have my curls, I wouldn’t have as rich a life without them!
I like to think my curls have contributed positively to my life and I wouldn’t trade them for the world!