Katherine's Hair Memories, Part One

 After begging my mom for a perm, and being told over and over that I didn't need one; but how can that be, everybody had one, she relented. The pull for me was that you could get you hair wet and it would still be straight. Once I had my hair "permed" (I soon learned there was nothing permanent about it), I go home, jump in the shower to shampoo my hair. I look down and there is my hair, swirling around my feet in the tub! Well, I don't have to tell you that was my first and last "perm"; it took years to get my hair back to a healthy state. Once my hair grew back, I still wanted my hair to be straight, so I started relying on the press and curl. No one can tell me they enjoyed sitting for hours getting a hot comb and melting grease applied to your crown. Or getting your ear singed just enough to leave evidence as to how adept your Mother was with the hot comb, and the worst burn of them all-across the forehead, but at least you could hide it with your bangs!

As time went on and I learned more about myself and my hair, I started cutting my hair down to a short Afro, I changed my diet, and stayed as chemical free as possible. My daughter's hated my all natural stance* and I felt as if history were repeating itself. I, like my mother, told my daughters that they didn't need relaxers and them, like I did years before, pleading with me that everyone has one so they too needed a "perm".