Positive Dreadlock Experiences Making Me Happy

Hello Dreadlockers,

I'm here to report some experiences in my life that have revealed an interesting phenomena to me. You may be able to relate, or have had similar experiences...

I started growing long hair around 3 years ago. And the longer it's gotten, THE NICER PEOPLE ARE TO ME. It's the funniest thing.

For some reason, I find that having long hair (and now dreadlocked hair), completely disarms and shuts off people's "critical" impulse of how I look, etc. And this goes against everything I've ever heard about being different.

You know, we all hear "people will judge the way you are" and all that. But honestly, that has NOT been the case at all, in my experience. In fact, since I really started expressing myself, and being more authentically stylish... people seem to like me A LOT MORE.

I find random people just striking conversation with me in public, waiting in line, or wherever. Or when I go into a cool little shop in town, the owner will just sort of give me a discount, or remember my face. I can go into a store where I don't know ANYONE... and they'll be like, "Oh yeah, I've seen you around town... we're thrilled to have you come in!"

Or a specific example, I've started frequenting this funky little jewelry/vintage/antique shop closeby my house, and the folks that work there are REALLY friendly to me... today I was buying this rosary necklace, and it was tagged at 28 bucks... and she just goes, "Yeah I'm going to give it to you for a flat 20" and just lowers the price for me... I think that having dreadlocks like has unintentionally given me some kind of "street cred" to people.... and this has sort of become the norm everywhere I go. LOL

What I'm getting at is... I think by dreadlocking, and doing things like this... things that are VISIBLE MANIFESTATIONS of our own FREEDOM and LIBERATED ATTITUDE.... people UNCONSCIOUSLY enjoy it... they unconsciously understand it and connect with it.... they may or may not CONSCIOUSLY "get it".... but something deep inside them DOES get it....

Has anyone else had REALLY positive experiences around dreadlocks or authentic personal style enhancement? Because, honestly, I've had TEN TIMES more positive experiences than negative since I started truly expressing myself....

Much Love,

Timothy

updated by @manofbliss: 01/13/15 09:12:00PM

i actualy have almost never had to pay for coffee in coffee houses bus fair music or performance events in small to medium size venues

ppl always like u said make a point of comming up and talking to me randomly yea its true what u say

alotta ppl live in fear of how hey will be treatted if they stand out in any way but i feel like i have a blessed life and get treatted very well

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

You're comfortable with yourself, so people feel comfortable with you. This is welcoming after seeing so many strung-out uptight people around them every day. Perhaps they don't even understand why, but giving you things is their way of showing appreciation. Though I've only still got baby dreads, I haven't encountered anything negative.

yeap..i feel it too!!

Seagle, I'm not surprised at all that you get free goods.....

huppiegal, egubman, right on....

But I actually want to share a really negative experience too.... if you don't mind a little adult language for me to accurately convey what happened.... this could probably be filed under another area of the forum, but it's in my mind while I read this thread too....

I always wear a brown leather messenger bag slung over my shoulder... I carry my books and journals and things in it... and I was walking through town... and two really ghetto-looking guys... like they actually looked trashy... they like step out of their car and start screaming from across a parking lot:

"Hey faggot, what are you fucking gay? Why are you carrying a bag? YOU FAG!"

I told them to go fuck off and kept walking and the guy's like: YEAH YOU WANT TO FIGHT? Let's go into the alley over there and fight faggot!!!"

LOL - I just continued walking until I turned a corner of the block and got to my destination. Of course, I've been able to shrug it off as violent stupidity.... but my god that was some pure unadulterated HOSTILITY targeted at me... that kind of thing has happened maybe once or twice before.... and it's ALWAYS fucking ghetto-looking trash trying to hate on me!

Anyway, I just felt like I should share that experience, hope you can handle a little negativity.

The moral of the story is if anyone ever tries to insult me, it actually EMPOWERS me and adds a layer of protection to my emotional shielding....