Cigarettes Cool Again?

Rihanna filming her new music video

When I was a sophomore in college, I lived an apartment with a Russian model for a roommate.  OK, she was more like an aspiring model.  She was Kate Moss-skinny but had a certain sex appeal that men quickly surrendered to.  There was also something cool and glamorous about her.  It was something about her Russian accent and the way she would stand outside on our balcony leaning against the railing with a cigarette in her hand and the smoke along with her hair blowing in the wind.  She looked like something from a movie.  I had not known many smokers but from the ones I saw, I didn't get why it was once and still was at the time considered cool.  But she definitely looked not just cool, but glamorous and sexy doing it.  It made me want to try smoking one too ... until I remembered a certain reality.  Smoking can kill you.  There are so many ugly ways to suffer and die for such an absurd habit.  And there are so many other ways to look glamorous and cool that don't include addiction and chronic illness later in life.  I wondered why she had started smoking to begin with.  Maybe she herself had seen someone who just looked so damn cool doing it.  Maybe it was a parent, maybe a friend.  But here she was, young and gorgeous and addicted to cigarettes.
I have never been the type to throw caution the wind.  If there was any undesirable consequence of doing something, I was convinced I would suffer it.  Even if it was a 1% chance, I was convinced I would be in that 1%.  Maybe I'm a pessimist or I don't believe I have an luck at all.  Or maybe it's because I am a (self-diagnosed) borderline hypochondriac.  Whatever the reason, I have never so much as held a lit cigarette.
Now, I don't know if I'm the only person who's noticed but there is a disturbing new trend of cigarette smoking making a comeback in the media and being portrayed as cool, trendy or glamorous again.  Back in the day when smoking was portrayed on TV and magazines as cool, the hazards of smoking were largely unknown, or at least had not yet been pounded into our consciousness.  There were ads all over TV and in magazines up until well into the 90's when the government got involved.  I think there is still the occasional magazine ad with the usual Surgeon General warning but I can't tell the last time I saw an ad on TV.
I don't need to tell you all the hazards of smoking.  You already know.  We all know.  As a healthcare professional, I'm honestly alarmed to see the trend creeping its way back in.  Women who are unfortunately role models for children all over the world, not just in the US, are posing in ads looking cool, sexy and glamorous with a cigarette as an accessory.  The same cigarettes that are extremely addictive and extremely toxic. And most people are not  like me.  The cool-factor will often trump the obvious hazards.  It's just an ad, yes, but to a child, preteen or teenager, those ads are like the Bible.  That is to say, whatever Rihanna does, is cool.  They do not have the cognitive capacity to realize that they are not invincible to the hazards of smoking.  All they know is that it's cool because so and so is doing it.
I understand that being a role model to children is pretty much gone out the window to celebrities like Rihanna who have openly denounced setting an example for their peers and juniors.  I understand they just want to live their lives.  And if they choose to smoke themselves, that's fine.  And if they're caught by the paparazzi taking a drag, so be it.  But to do a photoshoot that deliberately shows you smoking a cigarette and making it look as cool as you possibly can, that's just beyond irresponsible!
I was most appalled by the picture below with Kate Moss smoking a cig on the runway.  Sure, children do not go to these fashion shows, but the photos wind up in fashion magazines and of course whatever is on the runway is automatically trendy, cool and glamorous.  I can only pray for the impressionable children and teens who will wind up with an addiction they can't control and suffer the consequences later in life.  I guess at the end of the day, it's up to you to know good from bad and the parents to do the best they can. 

Kate Moss's "smokin'" runway walk

comment freely :)

I am figuring out the blogging stuff as I go but my one of my priorities is to make it easier for viewers to comment.  I managed to change the setting so that you can now comment without becoming a member although I do still encourage you to become a member.  However, do not feel discouraged if your comment does not show up right away because I have chosen to moderate the comments before sharing them.  I will post all appropriate comments promptly.  Thank you all and please continue to visit my blog :)

MonaLisa

Earrings and such ...

I have developed an obsession with earrings since going natural.  Before I did my Big Chop, I was never really a big earring person.  I had the basics: a hoop here, a stud there but I never went around on the prowl for new and exciting earrings.  As a matter of fact, I didn't see anything exciting about earrings.

My obsession started just prior to my Big Chop.  My biggest worry was that I would look like a boy, especially since I work as a physical therapist where the standard work uniform is scrubs or khakis.  I felt like one of the few ways I could reclaim my femininity was to have big girly earrings and/or long dangly ones... my basic little studs just wouldn't cut it.

So when I went shopping to get my basic natural hair items, I also went earring shopping.  It felt weird buying these big dangly girly earrings since I was never a huge fan of big earrings before but I found a few I was excited about.  And that's where it all began.  Now I have maybe 50 pairs, coming for maybe 5.  I have long dangly ones, big ones, unique designs, threader earrings, large studded ones, feather earrings, you name it.  I get excited when I see earrings!  Now, even though my hair has grown way past a cropped cut and looks feminine on its own, my zeal for earrings remains.  I love them!  Some of my favorites and most recent are below.



On a side note, in addition to earrings, now that I've developed pride in my natural hair and feel a part of a community of fellow naturalistas, I've been on the prowl for a t-shirt that says just how I feel about my hair.  Fashion is self-expression right?  I couldn't find just the right one so I made one myself.  I love what it says because it's playful and fun and cheeky.

Because I know I will never go back to having relaxed hair, I need these little affirmations, these cute little things, to be excited about and to keep this journey fun: earrings and silly t-shirts included.  Maybe one day I'll have my own line of fashion accessories and t-shirts but as for now, I just have a lot of fun adding my own flair to my appearance.  I hope you'll be feel motivated to add your own "flair" and share your ideas with the rest of us naturalistas so we can be inspired too.

Happy to be Nappy?

Nappy: "downy," 1499, from nap (n.). Meaning "fuzzy, kinky," used in colloquial or derogatory ref. to the hair of black people, is from 1950.

    Since the very first time I thought about going natural, I have pondered the word nappy.  I never looked into the historical origin of it, but always felt deep down it had some derogatory connotation, at least historically.  The reason I felt such a deep-seated disdain of the word is I remember it being used by the mean kids in school to try to put somebody down or humiliate them.  "Nappy-headed" is the exact term I remember being used.  Back then I didn't have the social conscience I do now, I just remember that I hated hearing that word.
Now many years later, it is proudly used by many naturals to define their own hair.  When I explain to some people my reaction when hearing that word used to describe a black person's hair, I get the reaction that I'm too sensitive and the word is not at all offensive.  I started to question whether I had any right to feel this way.
    And still, I hear that word used by non-naturals.  I had a black co-worker tell me when I had first cut off my hair, that she had considered going natural but her hairdresser told her her hair was "too nappy".  I was appalled that a hairdresser would say that to her client, first and foremost.  But the word nappy is often used in that context connoting that "nappy" hair is not appropriate or presentable to be worn as is and it has to be straightened or tamed and is therefore, a bad thing.
    My feeling is that this word is at least historically a derogatory word as the above definition taken straight out of the dictionary says.  I think just like certain other words specific to people of African descent, people are trying to "take back" the word, as in use it in such a way to take away the derogatory connotation, by say it pridefully.  Or maybe they are trying to assert the fact that "nappy" hair is indeed suitable in its natural state and not a bad thing  i.e. I am happy to be nappy.
    However, the word often does not have such a positive connotation when used by non-naturals or even worse by other races.  Don Imus for example who used the word "nappy-headed hoes" to refer to a group of black female basketball players, obviously felt the word was OK.  Is it weird that the "nappy-headed" part offended me just as much as the "hoes" part?  Perhaps.  On one hand, I think it's great that naturals are "taking back" the word nappy but on another hand I just feel like nappy is one of the words I would like to see disappear from the English language altogether because no matter how much you use the word pridefully to describe your own hair, it will always reak of the ways it's been used to put black women down.  What are your thoughts?

America's Next Top Model (fellow naturalista)

Remember Bree from ANTM?  I can't say I admired her catty, drama-filled persona on the show, but I loved her hair!  This was before I'd even considered going natural.  I was glad that she stayed natural through the show and into her modeling career.  Here is a recent photo of her (warning: nudity). 
What an interesting concept and beautiful photo!  Kudos to the photographer: Derek Blank. 

Ms. Angola Crowned Ms. Universe

I used to watch the Ms. America and Ms. Universe pageants as a child.  I guess it fit with my princess fantasies.  The crown, the glamour, the adoration of of everyone around.  Once in awhile, the winner was someone who I related to but rarely. 
I don't watch the pageant anymore.  Maybe because I no longer have princess fantasies or maybe because I've grown cynical and  it's seems like just another staged reality show.  But when I found out the winner was a beautiful, intelligent brown skinned black woman from Angola, I have to admit I was suddenly interested again.  Instead of reliving my fantasies this time, I felt proud.  Not to say the inner and outer beauty of intelligent black woman is not ordinarily recognized in present day America, but whenever I see it, it makes me feel good because I believe that beauty comes in all colors, shapes, sizes, etc. (at the risk of sounding like an after-school special).  So, let's hope Ms. Angola uses her new status as Ms. Universe to draw attention to the poverty and HIV crisis going on in her country as she mentioned during the pageant and she will be a role model for young black girls everywhere... princess fantasies aside.

Healthy Hair, Healthy Body

I have been worrying that my hair is breaking and not retaining length.  So I have renewed my conviction to pay closer to attention to what I am putting into my hair (and my body) and to decrease the manipulation for my hair for the sake for better health and hair growth.  Of course, I'm not just focusing on my hair.  My skin, my nails, and my body (organs and all) could stand to benefit from the changes I'm hoping to implement and most importantly stick with.  Who's with me??

1)   Hydration:
I have to admit.  I have a problem with water.  I always have.  Even as a child, I could never drink just plain water and I have the same problem now.  Not sure exactly what it is.  Aside from that, I don't drink enough period.  What I drink is nowhere near the recommended eight glasses a day.
Water is important for normal functioning of bodily organs.  80% of our body is made up of water and it is important to maintain this water balance in our bodies by consuming it.  Also for hair and skin, moisture comes from the inside out.  If our insides are dehydrated, so are our outsides.
Here are some tips I've learned for people like me who are challenged in this arena:

•  Flavoring:  Adding a small amount of Chrystal Light to your water can give it just the amount of flavor you may need to make it not feel like torture to drink it throughout the day.  It might even make it pleasurable.  Likewise you can add a small amount of cranberry juice, a sliced lemon or fruits like blackberries, raspberries, melon, grapefruit.  You can also add herbs like rosemary, peppermint, and lavendar.  Fruits or herbs are of course the better alternative but     you will want to let them steep overnight to allow the flavor to diffuse into the water.

•   Carry your water with you:  Having a handy water bottle that you don't mind toting around with you helps.  For example, while you are at work, keep your water in eyeshot of where you are i.e. on your desk.  I tend to not notice when I'm thirsty especially when I'm busy.  By the time I feel the thirst, I am on the brink of dehydration and sometimes even then if I don't have a beverage at hand I'll ignore it.  If you see the water, it will make you want to drink just like the sound of running water makes you want to go to the bathroom.  It's just a reminder to tune in to your body.  It's also a good idea to sip even if you don't feel thirsty.  If you feel thirsty, you're probably already close to dehydrated and you want to avoid that by staying hydrated.

• Drink water with meals: As children, we're told to eat and then drink.  That is because children tend to not eat as much as they should, tending to fill their stomachs instead with juice or soda.  As an adult, it's usually the opposite.  We overeat and don't drink enough.  So drink liberally as you eat.  You will feel full faster and eat less (for those of you paying attention to your weight as well) and you'll consume more water than if you eat first and then drink

2)  Fruits and vegetables:    This goes hand in hand with staying hydrated.  Fruits and veggies are made up of 80% water which is good for you for the reasons mentioned above.  But they also have phytochemicals and antioxidants as well as loads of vitamins that are good for your insides and outsides as well.  Keep fruits as snacks: apples and bananas are easy to carry around in your handbag.  Add veggies as a side to any meal: load up on veggies in your sandwich or put brocolli as a side dish to your dinner.  Have a grilled chicken salad for lunch or just munch on some baby carrots with ranch when you want a snack.

3)  Nuts about nuts
    Nuts are good for you.  Almonds especially, are listed as a "superfood" because they have many benefits.  1/4 cup of almonds has 45% of your vitamin E which we all know is an antioxidant and is necessary for healthy skin, hair and nails.  For your insides, it lowers your risk of heart disease  and also provides fiber and protein.


Now on to the stuff that relates more directly to what this blog is really about:  retaining length and having healthy natural hair.  We hear about protective styling all the time but is this really attainable for everyone?  I have yet to find the perfect hair regimen for me but I've decided that I need less manipulation and more protective styling.  Not just any protective style, one that will hold up through a full week at least, holds its style as in doesn't start to look a mess by the middle of the week and requires little to no manipulation.  I have yet to find such a style so I have been considering a wig.  I've never been a fan of fake hair... not for me anyway.  But I feel like if I found just the right wig, one that looks natural and fits my style, I could wear my hair in twists under it and never have to touch it for an entire week.  I'm still thinking about  it.  I will keep you all updated on what I decide to do and if I find that perfect wig, I will post pictures.  For now, I will stick with my deep conditioning, eating healthy, staying hydrated and gentle manipulation only when necessary and see if my hair starts to grow more and maintain its health. 
So long naturalistas!

for the jet-setting naturalista

Going on vacation always brings hair worries.  You never know how a change in weather/climate might affect your hair.  In addition, while on vacation, you're hardly as gung-ho about spending hours washing, detangling and styling your hair including waiting for it to air dry or to "set" in your desired style.  Who has time for that?... there's fun to be had, sightseeing to do, towns to be painted red!  At the same time, no true naturalista wants to do all this while not feeling her most attractive.... i.e. her hair is acting and looking crazy!  Even abroad, we naturalistas still have to represent!
This is my third vacation since going natural.  My first vacation was kind of a cop out... I got long box braid extensions and kept them in during and for some time after my trip to Costa Rica. No hair fuss there!  They were heavy and cumbersome and sometimes hot but very minimal grooming necessary leaving plenty of time to do what I came to do.
However, this is not always the desirable option.  My most recent vacation (last week), I did not have the time nor the desire or energy to have extensions braided in, so I just went with it.  In preparation I did twists and left them in overnight.  Unfortuantely my hair isn't long enough yet where I can wear the actual twists out and about and look fly with them.  They're not long enough to be pinned up or styled and some of them inevitably stick out.  I had a 61/2 hour flight to San Francisco not including my one hour stopover and knew my twist-out would not hold up through sleeping in weird positions on the plane.  I'd arrive in beautiful San Fran looking a hot mess!
So I braved it and wore my homely looking twists for the flight.  It was too early in the morning for me to care and I did indeed sleep through most of the flight.  Once I landed, groggy and disheveled, I ran to the bathroom to take out my twists.  It was taking longer than I had expected and I couldn't leave my ride waiting.  Plus, I didnt' have a mirror at hand.  I took out the majority of them, fluffed and went along my way for a great day in San Fran. 
Luckily northern Cali this time of year is virtually humidity free.  I was in shock, no frizz, and best of all, no shrinkage.  I spent entire days outdoors with no change in my hair.  I was amazed coming from the Humidity...errr... I mean Sunshine State where shrinkage is inevitable within minutes of being outdoors.
A few days in, I luckily found some knit hats that were cute and I didn't feel weird about wearing them because it was actually chilly, even cold at times.  I retwisted my hair and I rocked my knit hats over it for a full day and then I took them out again for a fresh twist out.  Overall it all went well.
 Of course the minute I landed back in Florida, my hair turned into a shrunken frizzy mess but I had a good run, right? (Seriously considering moving to California!)