What are your reasons for Dreading?

So today, I found out a good friend of mine is starting her own Dreading journey. And she posted her news on Facebook, and got nothing but criticism. So she asked me why I grew dreads and i explained to her the spiritual significance it has to me. But she is still curious.

And so am I!!!

I wanna know what your reasoning was! Thank you! (:

Blessings~

updated by @karen-frije-gray: 02/14/15 08:38:19AM

forgit that combs had been invented

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

At first I was simply fascinated by the look of it. That was 10 years ago. But a year ago I understood why hair dread or knot in the first place; That's because that is the Way Of The Universe. Hairs naturally dread. So, dreadlocks actually is Man's commune with nature. I started my Dread Journey for spiritual reasons. A perfectly straight and combed hair is SOCIETY'S standard of what is beautiful; and not Nature's say. Having my own dreads is like coming home to me. Coming home to nature...

The spiritual growth is inevitable when growing dreadlocks. A person is becoming one; Revealing who you are to yourself. However, I had no desire to grow dreadlocks before a turning point occurred in my life.

I was on the brink of joining the Air force. I was moments away from signing the contract that would bind me in militant regiments. It was a mental battle between what I thought I wanted more, freedom or security. The choice was mine to make. I ended up not doing it and felt horrible backing out of my word.

Then I made a promise to myself that I would finish what I start. My spiritual journey with dreadlocks begun.

Eh. I started my dreads because I hated my hair/hated so much about my life and I wanted to get away. I figured dreading my hair would help travelling be easier. I never ended up travelling, and I ended up taking out that set and starting over TNR because I (still) hated my hair and wanted it to be thicker.

Then when people started asking I personified the ideal of dreads for spiritual growth because I thought that's what they should be. I fought with myself to love my loopies, and go completely natural and felt guilty every time i wanted to palm roll or do anything to change them. It seemed kind of counter productive to the idea of "letting go."

Now I have some wool dreadies sewn in. I've crocheted some extensions of my husband's hair and am going to crochet in some purple dreads too. If I've learned anything over the past year is that I'm not perfect. My dreads taught me to not take things so seriously, even dreadlocks.

In short (ironic for me to say after writing all that, eh?) I don't really know the REAL reason I started my dreads. Maybe to start a journey, but isn't life all a journey anyways?

The true me woke up when I started to dread, the freedom of my soul emerged. I was at an age (49) in my life when I realized that I was not being just me, my hair style was for others, for the majority of society around me. I don't care if I look different, I embrace it and am happier than all those tight ass prim and proper people out there who are allowing others to dictate their appearance!!! I have always had a bohemian inner soul, I just decided to allow it to embrace my entire body.

My dreads are for me and me alone, for my spirit, my soul and my true self.

I'm not entirely sure why I started mine. Part of me wants me to be happier. Similarly, I want my hair to be happier too. I had been wearing it natural in an afro type state for a while. I liked it, but I found it difficult to care for. And, my hair demanded front row center stage and the I really didn't want to give it the attention it demanded. So, I decided to take a different approach. I am working on beginning a change in my life, so I've decided to also begin a change with my hair. I've never been interested much in society does this, religion says that, or spirituality and naturalness proves the other. However, I am Me. Me and I have decided to attempt to forge a new path with new relationships. Included in aforementioned relationships is that between my hair and my self.

For me it was the first step in letting go. After a drunken nervous breakdown, being taken to a hospital with a psych floor to try to get admitted for 72 hr evaluation, stockpiling sedatives and sleeping pills to commit suicide and a general realization that I was barking batshit crazy I needed a change. The only thing that I felt I had enough control of to change was my hair. By starting dreads I started learning to let go of control. Things actually got worse for me mentally, not because of my hair tho lol. Since the beginning of the year, things have definitely smoothed out, no more meds at all, mostly happy marriage, I have a better grip on things. There are still some things that are pure shit, but I have come to realize that if I had not taken that first step in self discovery by dreading, I wouldn't be where I am today. Which is on the road to recovery and learning how to handle life and everything it throws at me. I could very well be dead, if not dead mostly likely a raving lunatic with uncontrollable panic attacks, trying in vain to control anything and everything with horrible results. I feel that my impulse decision to dread saved my life.

After a drunken nervous breakdown, being taken to a hospital with a psych floor to try to get admitted for 72 hr evaluation, stockpiling sedatives and sleeping pills to commit suicide and a general realization that I was barking batshit crazy I needed a change.

My heart goes out to you, sister,I've been here too, well... Minus the sleeping pills route of attempted suicide. I know how hard it can be to be on so many psych meds you can't think, andsubsequentlyjust going off of them and having to learn that all over again. Lovin' you!

Thank you, if there was a like button for replies, I'd like it! One of these days I might actually blog the whole saga...it's kind of interesting