As of August 21st, the dreadies are three months old. They’re really beginning to tighten up now, and no one dread is the same as another. Some have tightened up smoothly, others have lost about half their length and become chubby little buggers, and others have tightened up partially, leaving large bumps and loops. Beads and threading have helped to control some of the messiness, but most of the time they’re just doing their own thing. Their own, ugly thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my dreads and I have never once wished I didn’t have them. But it’s a process, a journey if you will, and I still have a long way to go. My little dreadie children are just hitting puberty – things might get crazy for awhile, but I know it’ll all work out in the end.

As mom and I were walking in downtown Rockport, Massachusetts, yesterday, I heard someone call out, “Nice dreadlocks!”

I turned just in time to see a woman and her daughter in their car, and I quickly said “Thanks!” as they pulled away. The woman had dreadlocks and the back of her car was covered with a myriad of environmentally conscious and pro-peace bumper stickers.

One of the larger stickers simply said: got Jesus?

And I smiled.

A kindred spirit…