Member-only story
Think it’s just a joke? Think again.
A personal story on why every word counts
Growing up, I have always been ridiculed for the crazy mess that sits on top
of my head — my hair. I have been called countless embarrassing names that made me want to hide in a corner. As a result, I spent most of my childhood dreaming about straight hair.
Some kids do not care about what others say while some absorb and internalize everything. I belonged to the latter group. I listened to the jokes and obsessed over them despite everyone reminding me that it is just a joke.
Light ‘insult humor’ is generally harmless. But we do not consciously realize the negative message it sends when it is repeated over and over by different people.
I got tired of it
One random day, I got tired of fighting my hair. I got tired of fighting the jokes. I decided to just let my hair be. And then, something different happened. I started getting compliments. Even better, some people started asking for tips. Now, this was new! I was getting noticed for my hair!
I wanted to blend in but I started standing out. In college, many wouldn’t know me by my name but they would know ‘that curly-haired girl’. Most people assumed I spent $$ & hours at salons to get it to curl up…
