Whats it like being a dready parent?

oh man, Ive gotten into my "hippie" rampages as they so say about how they hell can they raise their kids to be unique and be yourself and when we are you dont want us to come o Christmas? I am a good person and I know it. I'm in college, I get good grades, I dont do drugs, Idont drink anymore and when I do, i dont drive. I dont lie or cheat or steal. I dont get in trouble with the law. I go to church. My fiance and I just bought a house. What more could you ask for? Isn't that what is important?

No of course not. I need to wear more make-up and brush my hair, and wear nicer shoes and stop lookin like a hippy bum. thats just so ignorant.

but that's alright. I know there isnt anything wronge with my hair and that's all that matters. It just sucks when we got to listen to it over and over and over and over again. My hair dosnt make me and lesser of a good person and that is final.

soaringeagle said:

hugs
well
i can tell u when she sees someone she looks up to or respects admitre yuir dreads or lifestyle ot may make her think twice about her artitude
mine was like that too for 15 years till she saw conservative old lasdies all raving about how much they loved my dreads.. havent hears a negative word since
as it is they think dresds are a bad reflection on them how can they lrt theyre gids grow up to be ..bums..druggies.. all the negative stereotypes.. but when they see you admorred and respected thet have to realize thety did ok raisimng a unique special person

hugs
wow i see a lotta typos i hope yoir decoder ring works

Grace said:

I usually only get stares from old people and little kids. My mother doesnt have dreads, she actually hates them. Theres 3 children in our family i have an older brother and older sister (10-12 years older than me) and my brother and I both have dreads. It driiives my mom nuts. Plus our sister is a little hippie chick too but she isnt into the whole dread thing. Our dad dosn't like them and whenever somethig unfortuanate happens he always says "So wheres the power in your dreads now? What are they doing to help you?" We're just like dude...that has nothing to do with what just happened...

Thats bad but he dosn't stoop as low as my mother. She uninvites me and my brother from Christmas and all other family gatherings. Our family has a few doctors in it and the elders are all well off prim and proper white folk. So, she makes this huge deal about how shes so embarressed and all that jazz....We still go to family things. My brother an I know that they may or may not like our dreads but thats not whats important to them. They are just happy to see us from time to time and happy that we are healthy enough to be there but my mother just wont accept that.....

She gets really hardcore and says some hurtful stuff to us sometimes. One year I got fed up with it and i wore one of my old grateful dead tye dyes to christmas dinner (with all the doctors)...of course i did have a very pretty skirt and a pretty velvet vest over it. They all liked it and said it was very festive. My mother could have killed me.

My dad dosnt take it that far and he's one of those real old school rednecks that farmed the backie fields his entire life. Wake up at 4..work in field...go to school..work in field...an do it all over again....

It's rough sometimes when my mom starts busting out tears an tries to make us fee bad...i wish she would just accept that Jesus dosnt care about my hair. but it dosnt look like that is gunna happen

I just want to say that... in all my life.. the people that I have seen be the most kind, the most caring and gentle... the most gracious, forgiving, helpful etc. etc... are the 'hippie bums' that have travelled in and out of my life. I feel that, collectively, 'we' are the people with the least amount of judgement. I mean, if anyone has ever been to a 2/3 day festival.. you better be ready to count on all of the above mentioned qualities.
we may only be a small percentage of the world, but, we do stand out. we do get noticed. and when you have a good message, that can be an amazing thing! so dont get upset at looks... just give a giant smile and maybe those who look will pass it along

I feel you on that. Every summer i go to this festival called the Gathering of the Juggalos and its all a bunch of people with love and acceptance up there just wanting to hang out with other people full of love and acceptance. The juggalo community is a lot like having dreads. People tend to take the stereotypes of the few bad apples of that community and think thats how everyone of them are.

sue said:

I just want to say that... in all my life.. the people that I have seen be the most kind, the most caring and gentle... the most gracious, forgiving, helpful etc. etc... are the 'hippie bums' that have travelled in and out of my life. I feel that, collectively, 'we' are the people with the least amount of judgement. I mean, if anyone has ever been to a 2/3 day festival.. you better be ready to count on all of the above mentioned qualities.
we may only be a small percentage of the world, but, we do stand out. we do get noticed. and when you have a good message, that can be an amazing thing! so dont get upset at looks... just give a giant smile and maybe those who look will pass it along

lol! Most of my friends are professionals, ultra conservative Christians, and home schoolers. I hear all kinda of chattering behind my back when I go to church (I teach a class for adults). I try to bring up the point that Love is what it's all about! Because I look a certain way does not make me better or worse than the next guy.

People can be rude...

At work (dimentia unit of nursing home) I am usually the one called on when a resident is "needing calming and reassurance".

I live by the rule : If I smile bright and cheery then someone else will eventually smile back.

or think I am totally stoned. either way! Hugs!

We as a family have never really had to endure odd looks or discrepancies in the work/public place in regards to our dreads...until we moved to Portland. Odd enough due to the fact dreads are a common scene here. We do not carry our locks as a fashion statement, we do not adorn ourselves with beads and jewelry, dyes or anything else. Straight Nazarite in modern day world.

Here we have been discriminated in the work place, stared at in the grocery isles and scoffed in the halls. Whats going on i ask? We be on the west Coast this is very strange. Strange it may be and yet stranger it will become. As time moves forward we approaching a time where we as individuals will be forced to make a decision. Are we 'in' or are we 'out' of Babylon. If we choose out then we are strangers to society and will stick out like a soar thumb. Every strange look, weird comment or exasperated breath I know i have made a impression and am willing to hold that to the highest level possible.

We have dreads as a result of a vow- a vow to our creator and a vow to our mother. To be a walking example of the natural state of being. A life of simplicity and love. Let the strange looks, comments roll on off, we are children of the most high and live to be that example of the possibilities of a different, better life. Any time we choose to separate ourselves from the 'norm' of society (which dreadlocks still are not considered 'normal') we should expect those comments or looks to come our way. The real question is how do we respond. We as dreads need to remember the roots culture and that we all represent each other with in our own actions. Peace Be Unto You.