to dread or not to dread, that is the question, things to concider before taking the plunge

1: I've never changed my hair too much. The only drastic change i've done before was 2 years ago when I had red highlights.2: I'm kind of using it as a therapy too.3: I hate haircuts and maintenance. That's it.4: When someone tries to criticize me, I just say "Well, I did this for myself and myself only." Or if someone says "LOL UR DOIN IT RONG" I just say "It'll come with time".5: That's exactly what I wanted. I wanted to filter out the douche bags and whores(exuse my language).6: I should remember that, i just got my job papers a few weeks ago.7: One of the main reasons I wanted dreads. To calm me. I feel like dreads are making me smarter and a better person.
updated by @antony: 07/23/15 12:09:11AM

My mom is great. We didn't always get along so well mostly because of my anti-authoritarian nature and y father being an ex-cop.I pretty much let them know a long time ago that they could either take me for who I was or they wouldn't see me around.For a long time they had to watch me be a junkie and our relationship was obviously a mess. When I found myself and became healthy and started being responsible and helping others, they started to understand me and all my choices. They see how happy I am in my life and they don't have to worry about me.Now they support me and they don't care about stupid superficial things like hair or clothes.I think parents who seem to be closed minded and controlling are very afraid. The media puts fear into the public and tries to create this sheepism we see everywhere. The parents think it is safest to fit in to what is acceptable.In my experience, if you can show them that you can take care of yourself while being your own person they tend to forget about the nonsense stuff. On the other hand, if you are living at home, cant hold a job, not taking care of yourself, you will only feed their fear. Then they will push you harder and harder to conform so, in their eyes, you won't end up in a really bad situation.This whole society is based on fear. Even the "green movement" and NRDC and the "liberal" democrats, and the animal rights people, are pushing fear and negativity to get what they want. We need posotive examples and joyful individuals to change things or else things will always be the same.If you want people to accept you for who you are you have got to take the responsibility to show that you can stand on your own feet and be happy with your own choices. soaringeagle said:

mothers...they gotta constantly nag and find fault
its annoring but u learn to tune it out or learn to laugh at it

Didje, you just told my story for me, Love Ya Bro, namaste'

Very true! To each his own, but I really feel like dreads should be a slow natural process that forces the dreadie to develop with their changing locks. My grandmother tries to throw biblical passages at me telling me that i've ruined my hair.. that the bible says that my hair should be my crown of glory.. and i tell her IT IS! This is MY crown of glory. Not yours!..I find a lot of my family just thinks I'm some wing nut or the black sheep or something.. They're like.. oh.. there she goes again talking about outer space and shit.." My mema actually says to me all the time.. "You used to be so pretty!" They are all so attatched to systematic values.. you can't hold it against them though.. that is how they have been indoctrinated.Mostly I just get questions on how did I do that? Everyone thinks that you just dont wash it, and there is nothing farther from the truth! Washing my hair regularly helped it lock up faster once it started! I love my locks. They inspire me and remind me of my natural roots. Everytime.

as i have mentioned, i am very newly dreaded, only a week...however, i have spent the last 20 years wanting this and only finally made the leap. i love my messy, fuzzy dreads! i have never felt so comfortable in my own skin as i do now. i feel very connected, very free, very natural... i am glad that i waited though, because i am now able to commit myself to well, myself...i am learning just how much of a commitment having dreads actually is! i spend alot of time explaining them, letting people touch them, telling folks that "yes, i do wash my hair", "no, this was not an accident, i really did do this on purpose", and "frankly, i don't really give a damn if you like it or not"! i did this for me, for very personal reasons, and i don't think we owe anyone any explanations, but be prepared, EVERYONE will ask!

yes everyone will ask how you do and acpect that you do not wash thembut this is stil a change to the ones who had it in the begin, they had to deal withwhen you see a dreadyshoot first and ask questions later

It really bothers me when people assume you can't get certain jobs because of your hair. I am going to school to be an elementary teacher and i hear it often " What are you going to do when you start teaching, you'll have to cut your hair" ....I would never in a million years cut my hair for anyone or anything but myself. If anything the kids love it!!!If they don't want to hire me because of my hair then i don't want to work there anyway. I work at dunkin donuts and my manager actually told me she wasn't going to hire me because of my hair she thought it was gross haha.....she ended up hiring me. Its just weird to me how hair can really make people react differently.

My family has been very accepting towards my dreads... they've always thought they were beautiful. My papa did try and bribe me 100 bucks though to cut them off. Its weird how much it bothers some people to just look at dreadlocks... It's really sad actually.

mine offerend me 10,000$but ya i see dreads working in every job..i know a few teachers with dreadsi really cany think of any professions that i havent seen dreads doin..well president of the country but..thats just a matter of timejess if u run ill vote for u


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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I got dreads so my "family" would recognize me...in lieu of the number of the beast, huh? lol. wave your freak flags high and keep tribing up!!!