I`am Getting SisterLocks!

Shortly before the big chop, I went to visit my parents. My step mom and I were conversing. All the years I known her, I really did not pay attention to her hair. She always had been natural. She wore a press and curl, an Afro or braids.

I was a diva, so I was not into the natural hair thang! That day, I became enlightened! I noticed one loc that had released itself from the loc tie. I never saw tiny locs before. I asked her was that a loc? She said, yes. They are called SisterLocks. All this time, I thought she had micro braids that became fuzzy from neglect!

I never saw SisterLocks until I saw my step mom`s. Living in NYC and seeing so many locked heads, you would think I would have seen them.


I always admired dreadlocks. I even started my son`s dreadlocks. I did not want traditional locs because I wanted style versatility!
Base on my hair texture and desire for small locs, sisterlocks would be the best lock method for me!


December 1, 2007 my SisterLocks were born!




loc count:325


time: 15hr


pattern: 4

Leading To the Big Chop

I know we have all gone through more than two hours in the beauty salon. I was not immune.

My problem started when I found a job 40 minutes from home vs 75 minutes. I applied my own relaxers because a few years ago, I allowed a "professional" to place creamy crack in my hair. When I left the salon, I had less than 5" of hair on my head!

You see, my stylist went to the Dominican Republic to visit his mom. I needed to get my hair did! When I worked up the courage to visit him again, he said, "thats what you get for not waiting!" He proceeded to cut off my hair to the new growth. I wore finger waves for three months!

After a few years, my stylist went back to the DR for good and I had to search for another stylist.

I decided I wanted to go short. I spotted this chick with a fierce hair cut! You know I had to stop her to get her hair story! that weekend, I meet my Puerto Rican Barber, Virgina. She used to work for Vidal Sasson salons. She could cut her but off! She said she made more money as a barber than a stylist. I could see why. She could not style a lick! if you have a great cut, you will always be able to maintain the style.

After I grew tired of the Halle Berry phase and following my barber all over the bronx, I begain to style my own hair. I got so tired of so many stylist who seem to never get it right!

The last straw, was when my friend recommended a stylist who had relocated to my county from NYC. Since she was a home girl and my friend`s hair looked good, I decided to give her a try.
I asked her to trim my ends. She cut three inches of my hair off! Ok!, it did look a little better. Any way, its just hair. It will grow back!

The next appointment, I requested that she layer my hair. I showed her a picture of what I wanted. of course my hair did not look like the picture! I told her about it! She had the nerve to tell me she did not appreciate me telling her what to do! Well, I had to go South Bronx on missy girl! I dish out $40-60 every two weeks , walk out the salon not totally happy and the next morning, I can`t get the same style from the day before? She must have thought I was stupid!

#1. Virgina has to teach her how to "cut" hair!
#2. I think she has been doing so many white client`s hair, she forgot how to hook up a sista!
#3. She forgot who she was speaking to!

TO MUCH HAIR DRAMA!

SHE JUST GOT PINK SLIPPED!



I went to my old neighborhood in the boogie down Bronx to seek out my old stylist. She hooked my hair up in my twenties and thirties. My only problem with her was, she came to the salon on thursdays. Only if she felt like it. I guess those are the perks when you are the owner! I grew tired of that too!

One sunday, instead of going to church, I went in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors and began to cut! When I was finished, I had one inch of curly hair. I had not seen my hair in twenty seven years!
















After my big chop, the test of my self esteem began. My crown and glory was gone! The only thing that I had to hide behind was my self. It is so disheartening when you discover how physical and superficial the world really is. In my natural state, no one of the opposite sex would look at me. When I wore my long wig, I could not get men out of my face! I cannot do the wig thang! If a man is going to be attracted to me, I want him to be attracted to me for the person that I `am!

As India Irie states, " I`AM NOT MY HAIR!"

The year of Transition

2006 was the year of transition. I thought I had to dress and wear my hair a certain way. I thought I could not enjoy myself anymore. I thought I had to give up my selection of music and my friends. little did I know, the only thing I had to do is surrender my life to the Lord and he would take care the rest! My life has changed. I have humbled myself in such a child like way! I still drive a luxury car and carry LV and Coach, but I see material things as a blessing and not a necessity!

I thank GOD for my health, my children, and for the air and the water that he provides for our existence. I always wondered how can anyone believe in the air that they can`t see, but knows that it is there. But, they cannot believe that there is a GOD!

Based on what is happening in the world today, people need to believe. Life is not going to get any better!

Serving the LORD is a BIG DEAL! I attended church as a child, but I had no idea what serving Christ was all about. I would read the Bible and had little comprehension of what was going on. When you are not saved, GOD does not give you total understanding. I was very afraid of the book of Revelations. Being a non-believer, I had every right to be.

Its so ironic that when I became a Born Again Christian, Revelations was the first book that GOD led me to study. God also led me to the Christian-fiction series, Left Behind, By Tim La Haye & Jerry B. Jenkins. This series gives an overview of what may happen to non believers after "The Rapture". The series scared me to death and re enforced what could happened to me if I`am not a practicing christian. Oh yes, in the book, prophets, pastors, and priest were left behind too!

For false Christ and prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. matthew 24:24

When you turn on the television, you will see quite a few. Get in a Bible based chruch! Know the word(Bible). Praise and worship is great, but what you pastor teached you should be in one accord with the Bible!

STEPS TO A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE

1. Make time for God`s word.

2. Pray. Prayer is the channel through which all good flows from God to man: forgiveness, healing, power, and love.

3. Tithe. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in our lives. Deut 14:23

Fellowship. Attending chruch encourages us to enter and enjoy relationships with other belivers so we may strengthen and encourage one another.

A christian lifestyle: Our devotion to Christ is lived out in our daily christian walk. "Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men"

When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are crucified with him in a spiritual sense. Our old unregenerated life dies and we are spiritually resurrected to a new life in Jesus Christ.

The Events Leading To My DreadLock Journey

2005 was a turbulent year. There were many factors that had led to my decision to lock. Before then, going natural was not a thought in my mind! I was happily addicted to the white creamy crack! Little did I know that 2005 would dictate my dreadlock journey!

My woes began when my employer hired a new associate director with no experience in the area that I managed. I`am known as a people`s person. i can work with the most difficult personalities, but this woman made "The Devil Who Wore Prada", look like an angel!

Aside from the woman Lucifer, April 2005, a motorist ran a red light. he hit my suv on the passenger side, causing the truck to spin in a complete circle before stopping facing opposite trafic. Minutes before, I dropped my son at the train station. Thank God, the moterist and I were not hurt. His front end was totalled. My truck had cosmetic and alignment issues. I was able to drive my truck to the garage and go to work.

In July, my dreadlocked son decided he needed to take time off from college and enlist into the Navy. I tell you, I almost had a heart attack! Thank God he had six months to dwell on his decision. The breaking point was when I gave him a party in his honor on Thanksgiving day. After that day, he was singing a different tune! His sleeze ball recruiter told him he could not back out. My smart dreadlocked son found a clause on the web. He is back in school!

Late August, my youngest son and I, planned to spend the weekend at the New Jersey shore. When I arrived home, he was in the bed with a sheet over him. ( He would always pretend to be sleeping when I arrived home) He told me he had fell off his bike and landed on his knee! When I pulled the sheets back, his knee was three times it`s size! I knew something was broken. His dreadlocked brother placed him on his back and we went to the emergency room. I was through! I had just left work from a hospital to visit another hospital featuring my youngest son! Well, he had a tibial spine fracture that slightly missed his growth plate! Again, thank God! He spent two months in a cast. he missed only two days of school. The school district provided him with car service for two months!

By December, I was stressed, destraught , and depressed! This was the worst year that I had experienced in a long time. I do not recall separating from my sons father being this bad! I believe that GOD was preparing me for GOOD WORK!

When I was stressed, I would drive the long way home to destress. I would pass this church. I was looking for a church home. I knew I needed to give back to GOD for what he gave to me, but GOD was not my priority yet.
One friday, I took the long way home. As I passed this church, it seem to be calling me! The next day, I googled the chruch for the address and stumbled on their web site. I listened to a sermon that was posted on the site. I attended the church that Sunday!

The rest is history! On December 25, 2005, I gave my life to Jesus. I have not looked back!

http://solidrockcog.com/