Forum Activity for @hippiegal

Nappy & Happy (:

Introduce Yourself

Hi Kim - Panterra's already answered your question superbly. I just want say I understand because I too had to learn to leave my hair alone. It's like any habit.When you catch yourself fiddling with your hair, don't get annoyed with yourself, just stop. With the messy phase, I do my best to embrace it. Laugh about it. If anyone says something like, 'Your hair's a mess,' smile widely and say, 'I know! Great, isn't it?' Guaranteed, that will silence them. Looking forward to seeing your progress. Please keep us posted. Love :D

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

That's very insightful, I think you're onto something. We still need to be alert to what's happening around us, but being able to tell real threats from harmless differences is what distinguishes an aggressively conformist society from one that's tolerant of diversity. There's an evolutionary benefit in diversity as well. Cultural random mutation, perhaps. I'm just tossing around ideas here.

Jdwood said:

Interesting discussions. I love it when some of you share some personalexperience. When I first let my beard grow it got big fast and EVERYBODY made a comment on it, it freak people out nobody wasindifferent. I miss my beard but my skin was doingweirdtings and I had to shave the last one I had...I had two nice locks forming ( I put braids in my beard and they where locking up nicely). Reaction todifferenceis very natural it's part of how we evolve andsurvivedfor so long. Many of our social habits are 'residues' of our wild ancestors. We are domesticated (some more then others) andpredominantsocial conduct or reactions are evolutionary habits that survived until today. Some are useful others not and some limit us.

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

It's like the way people used to freak out in the 60s about men with long hair. That too was seen as unclean, degenerate, unsocial, threatening, etc. But to these guys it was political, spiritual, or freeing in some way - even if only from having to visit a barber every six weeks. Fifty years on and there are probably still folk who rail on about 'long-hairs,' but mostly it's accepted now. I think in decades to come you will see a lot more dreads and dreadlock-wise people. It's up to us to set the course for natural dreads, and undercut the salons before they move in too far.

Sara M~ )O( said:

I very much agree with the OP... it's not much to do about dreadlocks but dreadlocks are one of those things that people don't want to change their mindset about. They are one of those things that require more thinking and changing your way of thought and sometimes your feelings about things, and like someone said if the people you are talking to aren't at that point in their life, they will reject what you tell them and some will always try to challenge you. I also have to say I was very happy to see someone comment about the brainwashing involved in the pregnancy/birth process, infant feeding, and modern medicine! haha. Totally OT but still, <3.

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

These people probably think that you get dreads by not washing your hair. They don't make the comb connection.

Baba Fats said:

Well, people just have twisted views of what locks are. To the layman, there is a difference between matted, and tangled hair. They think that dreadlocks are twisted, therefore tangled, but your hair is not twisted, therefore it is just matted.

They don't get it that tangled and matted are the same thing. Try explaining to them that your hair naturally twists and tangles itself. You don't have to do it to your hair.

If all you say is that you wash, people automatically envision clean, straight hair. They might look at you, and see locks, but that not what's going on in their minds. It's a form of change blindness. They are seeing what they are imagining. It's hard to explain. It's like day dreaming while your listening to someone talk. You hear the words, but have no idea what they just said when they stop talking.

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

Sorry - I think I made the same post twice then!

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

No offense taken, C21dread. The way I see it, you are lucky to have made the journey totally ignorant of wax, crochet, loctitians etc etc. When I first got interested in getting dreadlocks a couple of years ago, all I found on the internet was ads for DHHQ and loctitians. What they said about 'neglect dreadlocks' was all negative.So I don't get heavy on people who ever used wax, crochet or whatever, because I know how much misinformation and commercialization there is out there. I just do my best to discourage it. The best advertisement for the natural way is stunning dreadlocks. Over to you two!

Naturally occurring dreadlocks a concept difficult to grasp

General Talk

:D Love that - a dreadlock tree!

On the topic - some people still insist that the world is flat, that sugar cures pimples, politicians have everyone's best interests at heart, and only loctitians can make dreads. Or whatever they think about dreads. Sometimes there's no changing a fixed belief. People won't believe what can be shown right in front of them, but they'll believe no end of spin. Whatever feeds their comfort zone. I think it's something we'll have to put up with, and be prepared to give out a lot of dreaducation - even to those who shove it back at us. Turn the other cheek, shrug the other shoulder, give confused looks - whatever works.

Janice said:

I live in Canada. I have thus far only had great responses (other than my parents, who are in their 70s). Oh, and one VERY drunk guy in a pub told me I had a lovely tree growing on top of my head. HAHAHA! I had to laugh at that one...

Bed Head and afraid of flatten beaver tail look

Introduce Yourself

I'm getting the same effect. Flat at the ends, rounded and thinner toward the roots. I just trust it'll all look fine in time. A few peculiarities won't bother me.

DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP>>>SERIOUS SITUATION> THANK YOU <3

Life Issues Facing Dreads

I can only say amen to all you've said! :D

DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP>>>SERIOUS SITUATION> THANK YOU <3

Life Issues Facing Dreads

I'm not a great fan of techno-gadgets either, but I appreciate the way a computer allows me to connect to people (like this group) because my social opportunities are limited. I have a cell phone but rarely use it. Our TV reception is kaput and neither of us are bothered to fix it. We just use it to watch movies now and then. My priority is saving energyand not just the stuff that comes off the grid. I've simplified our home and my way of doing things to make life as easy as possible.To me, minimizing is not just getting rid of unnecessary material junk, but also unnecessary activity. Eg, does the house need to be cleaned every second day, or will every second week do? When you start cutting it down, you'd be amazed at how much energy mostpeople waste. I guess my retaliation is against the culture that says we have to cram our lives with doing. If you can stay calm while teaching and bringing up your lively kids, you're a long way ahead! I admire you.