By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Sometimes, I wish I could just yank off my hair and go bald like the female warrior Okoye in “Black Panther,” who snatched off her wig and used it as a weapon.
I don’t want to attack anyone. I just want to be free of hair in my eyes or on my neck. It doesn’t matter if my hair is natural or relaxed, it aggravates me.
I’ve thought about a big chop, but my daddy-like jowls would be too exposed. Hair has been my security blanket my whole life. It hid a big forehead in elementary school; pimples on my forehead in high school; and a fat face during menopause.
Thank gawd, my daughter doesn’t have any hair inhibitions. She whacked off her natural crimps a few years ago and sports a closely cropped do that requires minimum maintenance. She’s free from rollers and hair products (unless she wants curls.)
My natural hair has a will of its own. I’ve got at least three textures trying to co-exist on top of my head. I can’t count on any of them to do what I want so I just go with the flow or the flop. My hair’s unpredictability is a blessing when it comes to exercise. I just let it do what it do.
Living in Miami doesn’t help, especially during the hot, humid days of summer or the muggy days we’ve experienced lately. Last week, my straight hair went puffy. Today, my coils are tight and frizzy.
Last Saturday, I had a special event and chose to ditch the straight hair for the coils. I figured I could live with a little frizz. When I saw the pictures, I realized that the heat had made my curls tighter. It looked like I was wearing a light brown cap.
I refuse to put up with this kinda/sorta hair this summer. I’m going to get a short, cute cut and fuggedaboutit. Besides, in the summer I like to wear straw hats so I won’t even have to worry about how my hair looks when I go outside in the sauna-like weather.