the dreads: week three

Posted on June 15, 2008 by emily

While I was in the park last Saturday shooting photos of the band, a guy came up to me and started talking about dreads. Allow me to impress upon you that it is VERY rare to meet a fellow (or former) dreadhead in this area.

He said he’d had long dreads for over fifteen years before he finally ended up cutting his off, and he’s regretted it ever since. He also said that mine were looking good for being just a few weeks old, which I have to admit, was pretty nice to hear.

~ ~ ~

And here’s my Seussian dread, à la Gertrude McFuzz:

waving my freak flag

Posted on June 1, 2008 by emily

(or: God Has a Really Timely Sense of Humor…Doesn’t He?)

So, I decided not to wear a head scarf to church this week. It was too hot to consider wrapping my head in something and the dreads were just fine pulled back in a ponytail. They have a few beads now and are looking pretty rad.

It should also be noted that I wore a green shirt, denim skirt and my totally adorable green velcro flats. The ensemble was cute and comfortable, albeit decidedly non-traditional.

And of course this week, we would happen to have both a one-year memorial service AND a ‘churching’ service (where mom and new baby are welcomed back to church 40 days postpartum). The church was absolutely packed and mostly with people I didn’t know.

And of course, this would also be the week to recognize the graduates from Sunday School and elsewhere.

And of course, I would have to come and stand in front of the whole church, as both a graduate and a Sunday School teacher.

Oh well. Better to get all of my green-sneaker-wearing and dreadlock-sporting strangeness out there in one fell swoop, you know? And It could have been worse: I could have been wearing a Jesus is my Homeboy T-shirt*. That’d probably explode their brains.

* just kidding – I would never wear anything like that. EVER.

dreadlocks: week one

Posted on May 28, 2008 by emily

Yesterday I washed the dreads, soaked them in a sea salt solution, and once they were dry I started backcombing them *again* in order to tighten up the ends.

It’s been a lot of work, my hands are incredibly sore, but the dreads (and roots) are looking much better.

Mom tells me, “I’ve never seen you put this much work into your hair before.”

I’ve never wanted to do something with my hair so much before. It’s totally worth it.

dreads: week one