You were born on August 7th, 2017!You’re two years old, Ru. Happy Birthday!๐๐๐๐ ๐พ ๐ฅ
{whispers} Ru, short for Unruly, is the name of the mane formerly known as Afrobella.

How does it feel?! Stretching long and strong from crown to soul. From polished and impermanent, to rough and ready. Still a few lumps and bumps, but better for the wear(er). A masterpiece mastering peace.

It would be easy to say the my loc journey has been a mission of internal growth made manifest externally. It would be. It isn’t.

It would be easy to say that through the baby wick, swelling, and generally FUGLY stages it was easy to envision them; fully realized and long AF. It would be. It isn’t.

It would be easy to say that I feel more beautiful now than ever before, and my overall self esteem has been greatly enhanced. It would be. It isn’t. It hasn’t been easy. To navigate this shape-shifting adult body, redevelop my reemerging sense of style, and address a perceived increased in pressure to assume the accoutrements of coveted โ๐พprofessionalismโ๐พ

Before
After
Today
In a little more than two years I’ve grown an appreciation for the quirky, inside-out sort of beauty that I am. I spend less time getting ready… on my hair.
I feel a sort of badass empowerment knowing that bigotry, so mobilized by tax payer dollars, and cushioned comfortably in the bosom of bureaucracy, has seen fit to force itself into our salons and places of business. That my hair, our hair, has once again come under laser-focused scrutiny in the form of a Supreme Court ruling. ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฐ
I’m a cocktail of a sort.
๐ธA generous helping of pride and natural beauty
๐ธA spritz of oils and aloe gel
๐ธ A heavy-handed pour internalized white supremacy
๐ธ A sprig of IDGAF for garnish
You’re two years wiser, thicker, longer, and stronger. Here’s to you! ๐ฅ๐พ
I’m thinking about turning this into a series. What would you like to see first?
๐๐พโโ๏ธLocs vs Dreds
๐๐พโโ๏ธLiving with Locs & Dermatitis
๐๐พโโ๏ธHow I Manage My Locs Solo
๐๐พโโ๏ธFreeforn vs “Fashion Dreds”
Reply in the comments.
Love you, Ru!