Baby Steps?

Okay I was talking to Gina last night and she told me that she had conditioner in her hair and that she was kinda liking the way it was. I was proud of her. I asked her if she were gonna wear her hair in its natural form and she said "hecks naw...baby steps"! I couldn't help but wonder how many baby steps she was going to take before she realized she was a grown azz woman and should be taking grown azz woman steps. Proud and fierce, cuz lemme tell ya! Girl is fly as hell up under all that stuff she hides behind. inner voice: ARENT WE ALL??? hmmm. N-E way! She has been growing her hair naturally for years but has not worn it that way and she ran the idea by a 'friend' that she was thinking about it...and her friend says to her that she will never find a man like that. Or that the only kind of man that she would find would be a dread wearing..so and so. I dont know the exact verbiage, but its crazy to me how black women in 2007 still are afraid of the truth. And how we try to discourage others from being comfortable with it so that we can remain in ignorance, comfortably. I was angry because of that. And not because I am natural but because the connotation that being who you are in your original form will keep you from finding love. And how many black women or women period--for one reason or another --believe this foolishness and set out to "try" and be anything other than the Glory the God made. Its ludicrous to try to be another--or like any other and its plain tom foolery to try NOT to be what you already are. We are BLACK! Our hair is not straight or shiny like a Pantene commercial. It is thick, twisted and complex. But BEAUTY-FULL beyond belief. Sometimes I look at my hair in the mirror and get emotional because I cant believe that its ALL MINE!!! Now I dont want to say its not hard sometimes. Being natural in a society where conformity reigns...is not always easy. But quite honeslty I couldnt picture it any other way. Because this is the way that it is...and I LOVE IT!