Embracing my Roots and Pop Culture

DEPARTURE TO JAPAN IN 11 DAYS

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me these past few weeks. Thanks to your prayers, it looks like plans for the Japan trip are coming along smoothly. I haven't really been too dramatic in expressing just how last minute this whole Rebuilding Project has been. In the midsts of graduations, babies, and mountains of wedding vows in my community, I know it's been tough for those of you who have, to set aside money, and the time to lift me up in prayer. My brother JT graduated this year, and that was even a very busy couple of weeks for my family, so I am sure that many families are having wild summers. For taking a moment for me, for Japan, thank you so much everyone. 

I just got my itinerary and I'll be flying out of Los Angeles on KOREAN AIR. I've never ever flown on Korean Air before, I'm so excited!! I wonder what it will be like - hopefully something like the Korean Air Commercials... well, maybe not entirely like the Korean Air Commercials. But I can't say no to some "excellence in flight". You can tell, I'm stoked. :) 

Today I got a package in the mail. Before my summer started, I was able to sit down with my mentor from Campus Crusade and have one final conversation with her, particularly about myself and my heritage. I don't talk about how I'm African American a lot, and tend not to identify with people of my same race, and sometimes my heart has held a bad feeling towards my own race. Uncovering this, and being able to share it with someone who so patiently encouraged me to explore my heritage, was a definite gift. I made a little project out of it this summer, taking issues one by one that bother me about African American culture today, in the past, in the media, in my family. 

I took a first step close to home and decided to do some research on African American hair. Well, you can ask just about any African American woman and she probably has stories about her hair, lists of products she uses to keep it nice, and to be honest, I've never really paid close attention to it. I took to watching Chris Rock's documentary called "Good Hair"as a start. I watched it once, and then had to make my boyfriend watch it. I wouldn't necessarily just recommend the documentary to anyone and everyone, and I would say some of the things presented ought to be taken with a grain of salt, like all facts and opinions should. But I was able to look deep inside the processes, the products, the emotions and culture that surrounds African American Hair. My appreciation for my heritage grew in this small way. 

I felt like I learned a lot about my own hair, and was able to break through my insecurity of it, and embrace it even more. I am even embracing hair extensions, which came in the mail today. I used to wear hair extensions because I hated my hair, now I wear them because I love my hair. Sounds strange, I'm sure, and it's hard to explain, so I apologize. I guess what I mean is I have decided that as long as I treat my hair with love and respect, I am welcome to experiment with it and enjoy what I've got on my head. I wish I had thought about doing this when I was 6. My hair is like a plant, I'd like to think, and when we look at plants with love and take care of them, and sing to them and let them have water and light, they flourish and are just as happy as we are. 

Playing with Length in Love. :) 

It was funny putting in my hair extensions then walking out into the kitchen, one brother said I look Japanese, the other said he doesn't like it. He likes my hair curly. Well, these are clip in extensions, I told him, so if I like my hair curly tomorrow, it'll be that way. 

I hope that I continue to make progress in my way of thinking, and really ask myself why do I believe certain things about my culture before claiming them as my opinions. So far it's been a success. I feel beautiful, no matter the coarseness of my hair or the pigment of my skin. Progress!