Gangs & Girlies,
Getting locs was one of my fewer impulsive decisions, so imagine my surprise that I’ve had them for, like, half a decade. The day I got them, I was actually planning on cutting my loose natural hair, which I had kept for about six years by that point. I was kind of tired of having it. I no longer had the patience to care for it and just wanted something new.
The morning of what would have been my big chop, the universe – ever the conspirator against me – started sending microloc content to my algorithm. After as much in-depth research as one can reasonably do in ten minutes, I was like, why the hell not? If I didn’t like how the hair turned out, I’d just cut it like I had initially planned.
(Un)fortunately for me, I kind of liked the idea of how it would turn out and ended up embarking on an incredible loc journey I had never foreseen coming. And I – ever trying to find the lessons in the small things – learnt quite a lot from having them (as I did with have loose natural hair). Here are some of the life lessons I’ve gotten from keeping microlocs.
1) Every single thing worth having requires care
One of the main reasons I decided on microlocs is because all the content I saw talked about how low-maintenance they were. I didn’t realise the “in relation to loose natural hair” part was silent. As much as having loose natural hair required more time and effort (at least for me, anyway), having locs is its own can of worms. Did you know that locs can rot? Wild times, breh.
Having locs has made me realise that you cannot run away from looking after the things you want. Yes, some things require more effort than others, but low-maintenance is a myth. There are just things you’re willing to take intentional care of and things you aren’t.
At the end of the day, even the strongest foundations will deteriorate when no one bothers to maintain them. Time is unkind to anything left unattended.
2) The more time you have with something, the more maintenance is needed
In the same vein, the longer you have something and the more time passes, the more intentional care is needed. Not vice versa.
Just like having loose natural hair, the longer I’ve had my locs, the more they demand from me. I am used to taking care of my locs so sometimes its hard to notice the accumulation of things, but it is worth noting that as time passes, my hair needs more work.
I’ve realised this is because the passage of time is synonymous with deterioration. Be it your car, your body or your relationships. We tend to take this for granted because we get used to certain things being there and don’t notice what the passage of time has done to them.
Time is cruel and unforgiving. It strips almost everything down. Hair grows longer. Bones become brittle. Bonds thin out. Life becomes fragile.We learn to take care of things in the beginning, but we must continue to add to that care as time goes on.
3) You don’t always have to start over… Sometimes, continue
Given the fact that I got these on a whim, I didn’t really have time to decide how I wanted them to look. As the years have gone by, I’ve wondered if I should start over so I can have double the amount of locs.
But, at the risk of giving the plot away, I actually have attachment issues. I am not particularly keen on beginning again. More so because outcomes may vary even if I do start over. What if I’m just not satisfied? Especially since I don’t even hate how my locs look right now. Yes, I’d like a more voluminous look but I actually quite like them as they are as well.
I know the Internet is filled with quotes about how you can always begin again, and I largely agree with that sentiment. However, I also think you can’t always just be starting over and over, otherwise you will never make any progress.
It’s that bird-in-the-hand thing. Sometimes the best course of action is to pick a path, make a plan and stick to it. To just keep going with what you have, where you are. Sometimes you don’t need to start over. Sometimes, just continue.
4) Attachment is not the worst thing in the world
Over the years, I’ve watched my mom and sister just switch up their hair. Cut it, dye it, relax it. I have never had such bravery. You would think these adventurous hair genes would somehow pass to me, but nada.
This is particularly funny because I fantasise about cutting my locs all the time. Believe it or not, I don’t really fancy having long hair. Yet, for some reason, I cannot bring myself to cut mine— be it a trim, a bob or even a full buzz cut.
I am, unfortunately, very attached to things. I get used to things and then I want to keep them forever. I still have bathing towels from when I was a preteen because I’ve had them too long to give away now. I get sentimental about random objects. I don’t particularly enjoy throwing things away. And apparently, I am also willing to keep the same hairstyle for half a decade.
But I’ve realised that attachment isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We’re so often encouraged to detach, let go and move on, as though the ability to leave things behind is inherently healthier than wanting to keep them. Sometimes it is. But sometimes you simply have to be okay with lowkey becoming attached to things and wanting to keep them a little longer.
Not everything needs to be switched up just because there is an option of something different. Sometimes holding on is just as valid as letting go.
5) Don’t let that attachment stop you from trying new things
At the same time, and at the risk of sounding contradictory, don’t hold on to things so tightly that it hinders you from trying new things or making progress.
From the moment I got locs, I knew I would one day want to shave my sides off. The mohawk look is just a hairstyle I truly enjoy. I told myself I would do it year after year, but convinced myself not to with many boring excuses such as, “It’s not long enough,” or, “Let me just get to five years.”
Truth is, I am just not a fan of change, even when I am certain it is something I will enjoy.
But one ordinary day in November last year, I finally got the courage to do it and, gang, I was honestly just delaying myself. I have never felt more like myself in a hairstyle than when I got this one.
