Solace of the Solitary
General Talk
My most recent ancestors most certainly had dreads, it's been confirmed by older family members who have passed and some of them had dreads at age 84. my great grandfather had locks when he passed. my family doesn't call them dreads they call them locks. i'm actually the first in my family since the passing of my great grandfather to continue with locks. i've spent time researching and talking to elders in my family about our past. i don't think they would lie, plus their locks prove it. this discussion is going no where i'm backing out of this, i'm not in a mood to defend family nor traditions, spirituality, and why i dread to someone who doesn't really know me nor my family. have great day.
peace
Adam Kelly said:
Your most recent ancestors didn't have dreads, and if you go further back they lived in trees. Further again they lived in burrows, and even further in the sea. Why stop at the point where they didn't have combs?
I live in a way that has similar connections to the way my ancestors did. I grow food, keep animals, trap animals and forage for food. But this is not spiritual. its a way of having food to eat.
I really do not understand the spiritual connection with hair.
As social animals, we conform to social norms. Having a particular hairstyle separates you, somewhat, from the group. Why not go against all social norms. Be a racist, rob people in the street, give away your home and yourpossessions, stop washing yourself and kill neighbourhood animals for food. People willundoubtedlyjudge you and you will no longer be a part of the group. This must be the ultimate spiritual experience, right? Or, you could live like a true human, and conform to all the social rules, as youundoubtedlydo to most of them. Would you consider living like this to be spiritual? In reality, it doesn't really matter either way. Hair is hair at the end of the day, no matter how it is styled.
Now, you are right in saying that we all have our own experiences and opinions. All I'm doing is voicing mine.
August West said:
Dreads may not be spiritual to some people, and most may think they are just a hair style, and some may do it to just because they think they are a cool hair style, or to fit in with their hippy friends they met on tour and that's fine, that is their reasons. To me they are spiritual, because my ancestors wore dreads and i'm not a Rasta and at least one person through out the years in my family has carried that on and it brings me closer to where i came from in a world and society where we are very easily able to forget who we are and where we came from. The discrimination i catch and the solitude at times from having dreads in a society that does not really except nor understand them makes me a stronger person and if becoming a stronger, better person from life experiences is not a spiritual experience to some people then so be it, that's their opinion and i respect that, it's a free world.
Peace