The Orange Phoenix | 13 Observations 
So someone has to explain this new tidbit to me, in terms of new millennium style, when did wearing one’s own hair go out of style? And why haven’t I gotten the memo? Okay I have to admit to myself that sometimes I see someone walking down the street with a FLY-ass weave and it makes me think to myself ” wow, her hair is tight!” And I get nostalgic about my relaxer of many years ago: my hair blowing in the wind or tickling the back of my neck. . . But the second question I ask is: Who was I when I had my hair relaxed? Who was I trying to hide?
So I’m bold enough to say it - I’ma badddass mama with my ‘fro and all. I walk to the beat of my own drum, but I will admit that sometimes it gets lonely being the one true thing in a sea of fakers. Why is it in 2007 that women are still controlled by standards of beauty that definitely don’t match our own? Every moment, we are bombarded with images from our “so-called superstars” that we can only be considered beautiful if we have a weave the length of Niagara Falls flowing down our backs. What happen to us? Yes I know, it’s a part of our culture to ornament our hair, yaddah yaddah, but to the point when it isn’t even yours anymore - c’mon.
I’m a bad enough mama to admit that - yes I have worn a wig and I was strutting while I wore it. All of the stares that seemed reserved for the weaved wonders were coming my way too and I was eating it up. But on the other hand I was hiding too. At night, under all that costume, I had to realize that my true self was hiding underneath there and I just had enough. I grew up and learned that my curls and kinks were just too fine to keep under wrap.
For all the naysayers - “Oh it’s easier” - Really. . . go by a real comb and some grease and greaze it up good, so those kinks can shine.
Holla.
- The Orange Phoenix
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You are so cool!! And hilarious post title!
I’ve always wondered why every other race has to follow the “white standard.” Lighter skin, bigger eyes, higher cheekbones, deeper eye sockets, fuller or smaller lips it all depends.
Yeesh. I see all the relaxer hair products for black women (I was raised with the term “Black” as opposed to “African American” and my Black friends laugh at the new PC stuff) and think, wow, that’s a lot of work and I can’t see how all that can be good for the hair.
Also, why is “cafe au lait” so great of a skin color as opposed to say, ebony? Both look nice.
I’m Chinese so my hair is straight. Real straight. I have had perms. Freaky! Well, it was the 80s.
I think braids and relaxed hair can be very attractive but I don’t think a woman should feel she has to do it.
I’m pretty ignorant about Black hair and the styling terminology - a weave is when synthetic hair is woven to the real hair? The weave can be worn loose or braided?
Yeah…in a way I always think styles come & go (’cause people want the novelty & companies want to sell more stuff I guess) & every now and again there’s a style that suits me. Otherwise I’m more or less just always out of style…kind’a just goes under that “humans are strange creatures” thing I think sometimes.
Oh the hair nightmare. It seems that everyone has FAKE hair now a days. I blame it all on Pairs and Nicole.
Bless this entry.
Ms. Q: A weave can either be sowed in or glued. When synthetic hair is breaded into someone’s on hair it is considered extensions.
UT - I was thinking of your post yesterday right after posting my other response. A middle school boy at my ex-husband’s cousin’s son’s birthday party had this absolutely ***incredible*** afro (’fro?). Sooo huge & when he swam in the pool it got all curly & gorgeous. And then after it dried I watched him fluffing it out so it went back to being gigantic and way bigger than his head…I don’t actually have any connection here…it just had me thinking about your post…
LOL… I miss the days of my ‘fro. I can see it now. This dude around where I live has the biggest fro I’ve seen in some time. It takes you back to the time when the made hair picks out of wood.
Firstly… Thank you for stopping by my page!!!! Secondly… we need more people like you who view our image the way you do. Don’t stop asking the questions. Love the post. By the way… are you from the UK??? The way you fraze things sounds very similar (I used to live there). If its alright with you… I am going to add you to my contact list (on mybloglog) and add you as my link on my page. Keep in touch. Much Respect… Latoya
Latoya: I’m responding on behalf of Urban Observation. I cannot speak for The Orange Phoenix directly, the writer of this post, however I will say that she isn’t from the UK. At least I don’t think she is. I know she has heritage that dates back to one of those islands or countries in the Caribbean. Not to put all her business out in there.
We at Urban Observation would appreciate the link. I’ve added you as a contact as well on MyBlogLog.
Peace and Blessings.
How curious. I was having this very same discussion this morning when someone said that my adult daughter was ‘too much’ of a feminist, whereas she’s just an independent individual.
Best wishes
Ya’ll are just fabulous with the love -
Ms. Q, I have to say that I remember growing up wanting to be darker (i’m about Cafe au Lait colored) because the women in my family were all darker and I was and still am the oddball.
UT - when you grow your ‘fro back, we can be blowing in the wind together, getting our fingers stuck in each other’s hair (ha ha!)
I’m a little American, Caribbean and Hispanic all rolled into one
Orange Phoenix, good for you. Let your beauty show and make them swoon to your honesty.
OJP: Can I call you OJP? J/K… I wish I had the patience to grow my frow back. I do miss it so.