Post the First

Probably if you’re reading this first post, you already know me and I’ve already harangued you into reading my blog. So. . . thanks, Mom. But maybe someone has stumbled across it or (hope of all hope!) been referred to it and is reading the backlogs. If so, hi. I’m Kari. I’m 26 years old and trying something new.
My entire life, I’ve been a curly girl. A baby fro that grew into long, winding locks that strangers stopped to touch. They petted, twirled, rubbed for luck. As with most curly girls, in middle school, I scraped my tresses into a scalp-tight ponytail that never saw release. It loosened a bit in high school, but I still minimized as much as I could. College found me with an unfortunate (but easy!) short cut. It wasn’t until about 20 that I really began to have fun with my hair. It became a signature; it predicted moods and political leanings. I can be spotted through a crowd: just look for the mass of spirals bouncing in movement and stillness. By 24, I stopped coloring it, began cutting it myself: I became one with the curliness. It’s been a source of pride for six solid years and intermittently (whether admitted or not) my entire life before.

Which brings me to now. One month from today, on Valentine’s Day, I am going to shave my head. First, of course, I will cut off as much as I can and donate this to Locks of Love. I urge everyone reading this to explore the Locks of Love web site and see what amazing work they’re doing. Donate hair or money if you find yourself in a position to do so. I must ask, however, that no one mistake my actions for charity. Though charity is resultant, I am first and foremost a selfish person. I am very happy that I will be able to donate my hair and that something good will come out of this, but I don’t want to set myself up to seem like a better person than I am. Ultimately, I’ve always been curious about how I would look with different hair or with no hair at all. As for the former, there are not many options for curly haired girls and with my particular brand, straightening it ends with me looking like the Cowardly Lion. As far as the latter, there have always been parental, societal, career and personal concerns preventing my doing so. And now I am 26. I fear this may be my last chance to do this. Something's happened to my friends who have crossed that threshold into their thirties and that something has made them less apt to do this sort of thing anymore. Knowing my personality, I don't see this for myself, but still: stranger things have happened.

If I'm honest, I also hope to see some reactions. I don't want to offend anyone, but I am curious about what will be said, what sorts of looks I will get, if anyone will say anything (Mom, I'm nearly certain I will have heard from you on this point – excessively). I want to know what people will think of a curly girl who forsakes her roots. I also wonder how I will react to myself. I fully anticipate tears, particularly on The Big Day and on any low self esteem days after. I imagine I'll have several moments of regret. But I also anticipate excitement and discovery. I'll learn how the world responds to me without this massive headful of curly stigma. I'll find femininity unrelated to the length or value of my hair. I will be forced to stop hiding behind this outstanding feature. I expect things I can't even imagine right now; with this project, I expect the unexpected.

So, on February 14^th, one month from today, I will begin. Expect a roller coaster until then and wish me luck. :)