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Ms. Simone ordered a Kinnks Tee and we got to electronic talking! I quickly learned about her hustle selling jewelry on Naturally.Elemental! I got a few pairs myself, I’ll have to post my pics!She sounds like a kool mom too cause she’s sending her son to Japan! Anyway, please give a warm Kinnks welcome to Ms. Simone!! She shares her story of her BC below…
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Monday, June 14, 1993, 9:15 am: “Ma, can you watch Jay for an hour. I have an errand to run.”
“Sure.”
Ten minutes later I was standing the main workroom of the local beauty college explaining that I had one inch of new grow and I needed the 10 inches of relaxed hair shaved off. I needed the best student in the class to do it. I handed the girl my $10.00 and smiled.
“What?”
“I want my head shaved please. I want nothing on my head when she’s done but the one inch of new growth.”
After a hushed consultation in the back of the room and the instructor looking over her glasses at me to see if she could determine if I was intoxicated, a student was found, I was seated and apparently, I was the impromptu lesson for the day.
The instructor talked the sobbing (yes, the woman was sobbing as she cut my hair) student through the cut, I watched hair I’d nurtured through more than 20 years of chemical processing fall softly, quietly, permanently to the ground. When she was done, I ran my hand across my head, smiled at the dozen other ladies watching this and wondering about my sanity, and rose up outta that joint. Except for the one crazy beautician who INSISTED the stuff she was putting in my hair WASN’T a texturizer (it was, ugh) I’ve been natural since that day.
For years, I kept it relatively short; it was easier that way with small children to deal with and a career that was driving me nuts. The kids are grown now, and I’ve changed careers, so I’ve stopped the quarterly trims and have about 8 inches in the longest sections. I normally wear it in 2 strand twist outs. I’m thinking of adding a little color. I’ve even prayerfully considered locing it all.
The secret to my hair is I don’t do anything to it. Once a week, I wash it in whatever is in the house (I’m a science major, I don’t subscribe to the “good things “ vs. “bad things” for your hair arguments, shampoo is shampoo, don’t get caught up) While damp, I part it into sections and apply generous amounts of raw shea butter that I purchase semi annually in bulk from festivals in the community. I then twist the sections in large pieces to dry and then, using a bit of twist and loc gel (I happen to use Organic Root Stimulator brand, simply because it works for me) I retwist the hair in each section in smaller (~1 inch) sections; small rods on the ends, a sprits of water all over to dampen again, and let it air dry. I then take it all down and run my fingers through it to style. Voila! Unless it becomes frizzy (it normally doesn’t) I don’t pull a comb or brush through it again until I wash it again a week later. At night, I just tie it up in a scarf.(Again, it’s just a scarf, it’s just hair)
Naturally.Elemental
I set my hair off with handmade, beaded headbands and jewelry I make. I will be adding handmade hair clips to my arsenal soon. Funky, natural hair deserves funky, natural jewelry. If you are interested in handmade jewelry, check me out at Naturally.Elemental Jewelry and become a fan at my Facebook page.
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