Just Gotta Touch It October 31, 2017 By Jeffery Bradley Thirty years ago, I grew dreadlocks using the freestyle method. Meaning, I did not twist it, use beeswax, or hire a hair stylist to start the process. It was an all natural process. It took about six months to go from a bald head to four inches long dreadlocks. Within a few short years, they were longer down to my waist. I hardly notice their existence. They’d become an intricate part of my life. However, with this hairstyle comes many good and bad encounters with people. Most questions centered around negative stereotype about dreadlocks. For instance, while standing in the checkout line at a high-end department store, I felt a tug on my dreadlocks from behind. A woman had grabbed a hand full holding and staring at them as a jeweler appraising gems. Taking a step back, I released them from her hands. Touching my dreadlocks is off-limits to strangers. Only God knows where those “grabby” hands have been. We started the usual conversation. “Is all of that your real hair?” she asked. “Yes, it is,” I responded. “Where do you go to get your hair like this?” “Nowhere. It’s all natural.” “No, it’s not. Your hair can’t do that. Can it?” “Yes, it can. All hair can do this if you leave it alone and stop combing it or putting chemicals on it.” “How long have you been growing them?” “About five years.” “Can you take it down?” “Yes, but it would take hours to detangle each lock. Or you would simply cut it all off to get rid of them.” “How do you wash it?” “The same way you do, rinse, shampoo, and repeat.” “Can white people grow dreadlocks?” “It’s possible, but you’d probably need to use beeswax to make your hair stick together. It depends on the texture of your hair.” “Well, your hair is beautiful. Reminds me of Bob Marley.” “Thank you.” I am always open to anyone wanting or needing an understanding of this strange phenomenon. However, touching any part of my body is entirely off-limits. Especially without prior approval. With thousands of hair products on the market, one can easily believe there’s an issue with natural hair. Media advertisement has convinced us to spend large portions of our lives “fixing this bad hair” problem. Most people with dreadlocks seem to take the road less traveled regarding their appearance. And refuse to accept society’s views about how one should present themselves to the world. They also may have different priorities in life that don’t include dealing with hair which seems to take care of itself. The time and money saved can be directed to other positive lifestyle goals. What attention dreadlocks draw is seldom intentional. And there is little to no concern what others think of the decision to have dreadlocks. There are many solid reasons for having dreadlocks including cultural beliefs, spirituality, individualism, and living a chemical free nature life. Whatever the reason, the most important thing to understand is dreadlocks are personal beyond their physical presence. You may see knotted up hair. But to the owner, they may be the reason for all the success in their lives.