Surviving criticism of the natty way: dreads dissed, etc.

So how do you all respond if someone criticizes our dreadies? I've got these flat crazy dreadies with hair sticking out the ends, they've been forming for about half a year. I never planned to have them but I was living on the road and swimming in the ocean and they just knotted up and I was digging it. Now they are permanent and I'm into it. My girl has nice natural dreadies. I follow the yogic path of the sadhu of shiva, and having matted hair is a natural part of it.

But few people can appreciate this kind of hair in most places. Or my huge beard but I don't plan to dread my beard. But all this stuff is significant. Someone dissed my dreadies earlier as being ugly or whatever, and then said white people can't have dreadlocks. Which is of course absurd. White people in general have cooler dreadies because most black people are so fucking wiped on the system of straightening their hair as a multi-generation tradition that even when they do get locks they are more like tight braids. Obviously that's not always how it is. Just in general. WHen my girl let her hair go natural you could swear her family was going to have hernias, or like she was dissing her ancestors and her families way of life.

But this has nothing to do with race. Do you get people making inane remarks like next time you pass out drunks their gonna cut your hair and beard off? Haha. That happened to my favorite Sadhu once, Bhagavan Das, he wrote about it. He and this Buddhist master got wasted drunk and he woke up hairless and the buddhist had fled the scene.

So just don't pass out drunk!

But I just pray that my hair will be nice and that people will be OK. They are so wiped on the system, the neo-militaristic style of buzz cuts. This is all part of accepted slavery. The military has proved that if you get all your hair shaved you make a better slave drone. Your more likely to follow orders unquestioningly.

Maybe these people are terrified of dreadies 'cause it represents something wild and untameable. I don't really care for perfectly formed and groomed dreadies. I like the wild different sized ones that tend to form on their own.

I suppose I can only pray people will be more accepting of alternative looks and ways of living. Real wild dreadies tend to only form on real wild people. Not wild as in going out and getting drunk but living free and close to nature. Staying out of tap water showers and swimming in the ocean instead, etc..

 

When people ask me why I have dreads I just ask them why they don't.

 

Ahoy ... Awesome!



PS. I sent you a response Bro

 

No one would ever dare make fun of me.

 

I don't get much criticism, but my mother told me last night they weren't as nice as So n' so's. She's a hair stylist so she wants it to be neat and tidy with no loose hair... I just said that I like mine they way they are. I don't care much about what ppl think of my hair. Too bad for them.

 

People rarely ever comment on my hair.
When they do, it is usually just things like 'how do they do that?'
and such. Normal things. People at my school tell me all sorts of things that people say about me, though. It still isn't about my hair...It is more 'Nicks sister is sooooo nice' or 'That dread girl sort of scares me', etc.

But when people ask me why,
I am always sort of at a loss for words, mostly because I don't know why.
So I just say 'it is just something to try out.'


I did have this one kid ask me 'Did Shiquita dun yo dreays?'

...?

 

lmao sarah

 

A few days ago someone said that I should get them "re-done". I had to resist the urge to facepalm...

 

at first my mom hated my dreads.. now she doesn't mind them too much, but refuses to call them "dreads" instead, referring to it as "just matted hair"

most people don't comment on my hair, but if they do it's usually "it fits your personality" so i guess that's alright?

 

is the OP joking?

 

Ahoy ... Umm, I think so???

If I woke up tomorrow and there was no prejudice in the world, I would be freaking out that I’ve hit through the Twilight Zone and landed up who knows where

 

I got my dreads 6 months ago, at first i got many strange reactions from friends and randoms. Most of them wondered why i would do something like "that" with my hair, but i love it. And I ask them back, why shouldnt i do something like that with my hair?

Anyhow the person who criticise my dreads the most must be my grandmother, everytime i drop by to visit her she asks me if she can give me a haircut.

Other than that most of the people around here accepts it, and most of the people i meet asks me alot about it, and want to try it them selves but are to "afraid".

But ofcourse ive met people who think its stupid, for some reason. But whatever i dont care what other people thinks about me.

 

Ahoy ... LOL

 

for real? like this has to be a joke.

I've had dreads for about 4 years of my life and i've never felt anything like that. where do you live that people behave like this?

good example, i just started a new job today. i worked 4 hours, i probably recieved about 20 comments from customers and every single one of them was "i love your hair" "how did you get them like that" and just random questions about them after telling me how much they like my hair. I live in new jersey, which is like the asshole of the planet and NOBODY is nice, so i basically take most of them to be genuine.

...the comment about people shaving my hair while i'm passed out, basically 2 things on that note...

1) i dont know who you like to hang out with, but everybody i know or come into contact with RESPECTS me and respects themselves way to much to EVER do that.... you need better friends, or you need to stop being such a shitty human being that you would need to even worry about that (not calling you a shitty person, but i'm sayin, if you gotta worry about people being that mean to you your obviously doing something wrong)

2) I'd take a federal sentence without hesitation if anybody ever fucked with me that bad. sharpies and waxed eyebrows is one thing, but thats too far. but again, who do you hang out with that this is even a concern?

as far as actually dealing with critisizm, maybe i'm just lucky and dont really run into people that tell me they dont like me, but i dont really care what people think of me, and its thier right to think what they want so who cares? I'm not going to lose sleep cuz somebody told me to get a haircut.

as per your military comments, you remind me a lot of SLC punk. one day you will realize you are putting on a uniform too, if you really want to rebel, hump the system with the man, cuz you can change a lot more being a part of the system then you can throwing pebbles at the mans windshield

 

Ahoy ... And one day you will see the flaw that's also behind this amazing bit of wisdom …

 

that was my own words because i havent watched it in a while, but that was basically the last minute or two of the movie coming out of the main character's mouth.

i dont buy into either side of this type sentiment, i'm just referencing a movie about "hardcore anarchists" realizing they are bigger posers then the posers.

be who you are, who you are could be in a uniform.

 

Ahoy ... LOL, Bro I never thought you were using someone else’s words .

Point, I guess, is that perceiving The System is like diving down a worm whole; every time things make sense, it gets deeper and deeper and continually changes directions.

 

ok, what is with ahoy?!

 

ahoy

 

Ahoy??? ... It's short for 'Ahoy In His Name, H.I.M.' ... it's a greeting, but in a way that includes cool / irie ... also a way of showing respect in a humble way, but with dignity.

It's very popular in South Africa, particularly since the New South Africa came in, or should I say since the Right Wing Mad Fascists got kicked out, it's became a way in South Africa of saying that one is down with unity of all people ... no division, no racism. It's widely used by people with locks in general, not just Rasta, but also just roots people in general, not only people with locks ...

... So anyway, it's been a habit for me to use 'Ahoy' for +15 years, it’s just a way of life. I can focus on refraining from using it on the forum if it's annoying ... Is it annoying?