It Happened! Somebody Touched My Hair!
A couple of days ago, my husband and I were out for lunch at a cafeteria style restaurant and I had just sat down to a tasty meal of baked chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, and a roll. The waitress comes over to introduce herself to us and immediately starts telling me how much she loves my hair!I was flattered of course! I mean, who doesn’t love getting compliments on their hair?!
But then, it happened. She touched my hair! And it wasn’t just one of the normal pats or a one second pass at it. She put a whole hand in there and I could feel her finger tips on my scalp! Say what?! Yes she did! I didn’t know what to say, so I just smiled and said thank you. I don’t think she meant any harm, but it was just awkward. I usually don’t mind people touching my hair, but I do appreciate being asked. And if you touch someone’s hair, don’t go all the way to the scalp! Please and thanks!
I had read about this type of thing happening, but I just assumed that it wouldn’t happen to me. I read about other naturals being upset or telling the person straight up that they need to stop or they can’t. I guess in the moment, I just wondered what the toucher of my hair would think if somebody rubbed her hair like that! Simultaneously, I was questioning if my personal space had been violated.
But God!
Last year was probably the most emotionally trying year of my life. It wasn’t one of those years where there is a storm that weathers you, but almost a year ago I basically created my own storm. I did this by going completely against God’s will and what He wanted me to do. I fell into some stuff that I had no business in and I basically ended up worshiping more than one god. This activity led me away from God and I fell into pre-marital sex. I knew I was sinning, but for the first time in my life that I can really remember I didn’t care that I was going against God’s will. After engaging in pre-marital sex for about a month, I found out that I was pregnant. As a college student and someone who had just been appointed to a fairly prominent position at school, this was crushing news. I just could not believe that I was pregnant! I even thought about abortion but after counseling and prayer, I realized that I could not cover one sin with another.
At first I felt like my pregnancy was a curse, but because I went against God, He had to do something that would get my attention! Taking that position that I wanted for years away from me was the only way to get me out of the sin and back to Him! I couldn’t understand it at first and although I was saddened that I could no longer have the position, I am grateful that God spared me from sin! God sending my daughter to me was the best thing that could come out of the situation and she is such a blessing!
Although I face new challenges in life such as being a wife and mother and college student, I can definitely say that God has seen me through every challenge whether emotionally, financially, physically, etc. I am definitely blessed and highly favored!
The Importance of Giving Thanks!
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is like a step child to Christmas. If you haven’t noticed, before Thanksgiving can even pass, there are already advertisements for Christmas, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. At one point, Christmas programs were not even aired on television at least until Thanksgiving afternoon. These premature advertisements and television shows are proof that the American society has begun to focus solely on material things. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is family oriented and it is supposed to remind us to be grateful for non material things. However, Thanksgiving in America has been transformed into a gluttonous celebration of the abundance of turkey, ham, dressing, and pecan pie. ( I love Thanksgiving dinner just as much as the next person, but I try to remember Thanksgiving’s true meaning!) It has become merely a holiday to sustain us until it is time to rush to celebrate the materialism that Christmas has become. In the meantime, we forget that we should be should be giving thanks to God for all of the blessings that He has given us. That is the true purpose of Thanksgiving!
It is wonderful to have a specific day set aside to appreciate all of the blessings that God has given me, but as a Christian, thanksgiving is a reminder that everyday should be a day of thanksgiving!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Almost finished pecan pie! Yum!
The Busy College Life in Pictures!
Well, I haven’t been able to blog in months due to being way too busy! I’ve enjoyed blogging so far, but my grades have had to come first! Anyhow these are a few shots of my life this semester!
Got my driver’s license finally!
Senegalese Twists were in full effect for August and September!
My 19th birthday cake! I took it back to school with me!
Hurricane Issac came, as a MS girl I was slightly offended by the media because MS was continually referred to as the landmass between New Orleans and Mobile!
Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South! I’m proud to say I march in the best band in the land!
BET College Tour came to JSU!
Just a cute pic!
JSU vs Southern! Blue & White Hype Night Attire!
Band Geek Pic. lol
Studying,studying, and more studying.
Let me be patient, let me…
Let me be patient, let me be kind
Make me unselfish without being blind
Lauryn Hill- Tell Him(Based off of 1 Corinthians 13:4)
The Importance of Literature to the American Youth
One of my favorite books!
America’s youth seems to be a reality show crazed, texting addicted, social network loving generation. Gone are the days when children actually read for their enjoyment and leisure. Instead most kids groan when their teacher introduces a new class book. Instead of the reading the book and looking at the author’s words the way they were intended to be read and understood kids look to Sparknotes not just for guidance but to provide their whole understanding of a book . ( I will admit, I am guilty of that though! lol But I’ve lived and learned!)
Many students argue that they cannot relate to classic literature of any kind. But I feel that classic literature, especially American literature is just as easy to relate to as Basketball Wives, The Real Housewives, and Love and Hip Hop. For one thing these “reality” shows are not the average American’s reality. But the works of great American authors were the average American’s reality and therefore will always be relatable.As Americans we will always have something in common with them and that is the spirit of America and the pursuit of the “American Dream.” These works are of substance and teach concepts that will expand the mind of the reader. ( No I’m not saying that junk tv and or junk reading must be abolished but we should be careful to allow our minds a healthy diet of meaningless and meaningful entertainment. )
Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald,Zora Neale Hurston, must I continue? These are the names of authors that every young person should know and appreciate. These authors are all American, and represent the different shades of American life in certain time periods and locations.( Although I believe much can be learned from authors from other countries I believe that American youth should put more of a focus onto studying the works of American authors.)American history is studied in schools, but it is only told from one point of view. In order to fully understand and form a complete perception of the past we must read first hand accounts of literature that express the attitudes and beliefs of Americans of different cultures, ethnic groups, and regions. As cliche as it sounds, the American youth must fully learn from the past so that we never repeat the mistakes of it.
My Journey: Falling In Love With My Hair
Back in 2009 was the first time in my life that I really noticed women deciding to wear their natural hair texture. Out of curiosity I began to stumble upon websites like naturallycurly.com and curlynikki.com. Wearing natural hair was an idea that seemed foreign and oddly incorrect to me at the time.Like many other black youths of today’s society, I had been cultured by media to reject the beauty of my black heritage from my skin to my hair. For most of my life getting a perm or relaxer regularly was normal and it was the only option. I got my first relaxer at the age of 5, therefore I have spent the last 15 years of my life getting “touch ups” and unaware of the beauty of my hair’s true hair texture. People often told me that wearing natural hair had political connotations, that no black man would want a woman with natural hair, that natural hair would cause me to lose job opportunities, that natural hair would make me look less feminine, etc. Because of these various statements, I shied away from wearing my natural hair texture. I continued to get relaxers, but I became more and more intrigued with natural hair and often toyed with the idea of wearing my natural hair.
In June 2012 I declared my official and final decision to go natural. I haven’t had a perm since early April and now I am in my fourth month of transitioning my hair! I am trying to go for a long term transition, 9 months to a year. On announcing my decision to my friends and family I have been met with mostly positive feedback. Alot of people have actually said that “You’ll look pretty like that!” Or said that they are thinking of going natural too. The most shocking response was when one of my friends bluntly said, ” I don’t believe in natural hair.” It was shocking because that just sounds so odd, it is the hair that grows out of our heads. The hair God gave us, not an abomination!
Here I am 18 almost 19 years old. In my late teens I began a journey to embrace my black heritage. The skin that I was teased about by my peers in middle school is beautiful and desirable and I am comfortable in it. The hair that I once hated and thought was “bad” is good and I love it. I feel that I have finally embraced myself a whole. I love who I am today and I am proud of the epiphany that I had.
.
My Introduction
I figure I’ll use the first post to introduce myself and discuss this blog thing somewhat more in depth.
First off my name is Karen and I am an 18 soon to be 19 years old sophomore in college who is majoring in English Education. Growing up I always wanted to be a writer, I write poetry, short stories, and like many other people I keep a Diary of my life. In a way this blog will be like the pages to my diary; a rare look into my philosophical, romantic,political, musical, collegiate, Christian life all at once.
The name of this blog is “Life is an Epiphany” because as I grow older I feel that I discover something new at least everyday if not every hour. For the first time in my life I have also begun to make decisions based off of what I want and what is best for me and no one else.I am a young woman who is trying to find her place in the world. This blog ought to be pretty interesting so stay tuned! (That’s probably what they all say though right?) lol
lifeisanepiphany 