My offensive hair

“Ibi, please find something to do with your hair tomorrow.” *chuckles* “Don’t come to work like this. This one pass me.” *chuckles some more*

My hair is in a majestic (I wish) fro, held back with a leopard-print hair band with a cute little bow to the side. But it is offensive to my supervisor, and she wishes I would get my Indian weave back in… I ask her if she would like to fund my trip to the salon (since I haven’t been paid in five months – but that’s another story), to which she chuckles some more before she going back into her office, leaving me feeling more deflated than angry.

My offensive hair.

I keep my opinions to myself when it comes to other people’s choice of clothing, hair styles, shoes etc and I really wish people would return the favour.

Her comment actually almost spurred me to cut my hair off. I had been toying with the idea over the weekend; make a YouTube video about cutting my hair in protest because I cannot afford to go the salon to get my hair done since I haven’t been paid in five month. And watch it go viral! All that dramatic, awesome stuff that doesn’t happen to people like me in real life. 

Anyway. So I had been toying with the idea because, really, my hair hasn’t grown much in five years anyway and I wanted to start over. And after the conversation with my supervisor, I told my colleague I would cut my hair and he doesn’t understand why I am angry at my supervisor’s comment. “Don’t let what other people think get you angry,” he tells me. 

In my opinion, she can think what she wants to, but can she stay away from my desk as she shares that opinion abroad? I think I can go into details about how offensive it is to me that my hair disturbs people at home (in a country where everyone has afro-kinky hair growing out their scalp before they poison it – yes I am being dramatic – with chemicals). But you could read Americanah or watch this video for details.

Now, I am going to put my offensive hair in protective twists before I head to bed.

Good night :)