Hey you all! Looky looky now--two posts in one day! But this is one that I meant to do several days ago and then I got caught up in the turkey day preparations...
Anyway, here it goes--long story short...a coworker and I were talking the other day, and she commented about the loc style that I had going on, you know, saying how much she liked how it looked, how I always had an interesting style goin' on, etc. she then asked me if I could ever take my locs down if I wanted to and then she made a comment about how usually she doesn't like the look of locs because she's seen a number of white people with them and they always looked dirty and nasty, and so on. She then made a very pointed comment--"but yours always look really clean and well kept and I just gotta ask, how do you wash that STUFF?!" I looked at her (with a slight *cut you off at the knee side eye*) and responded "the same way you wash your "stuff"! Now, we get along quite well (she's white) and all, but I did feel a small dig of indignation at my hair being called "stuff" as if it were a giant dirtball or something. Said coworker quickly came back with "I wasn't trying to insult you; you know what I mean, how do you wash your hair, locs, or whatever you call them!" Now, I want to feel and truly believe that she really meant no harm but...how do you refer to someone's hair--anyone's hair as "STUFF"? To tell you the truth, this one phrasing has insulted me more than any other comment that has been made about my hair in the almost three years that I've been loc'd. So tell me the honest truth y'all--am I being just way too sensitive? Love to hear your take on this! Blessings!
6 comments:
I don't think you're being sensitive. I mean, if you're offended, you're offended. But, unfortunately, this is how people (who are ill-informed about natural hair or Black people period) tend to respond. And to an extent, it's not their fault. Approaching it, letting them know that you were insulted is the best way to go.
I would have been offended also. We use the word "stuff" when we don't know (or are not sure)what something is. She should know that hair is growing out of your head not stuff.
No I dont think you are being sensitive. I think I would have been offended too if someone called my hair "stuff" as well.
Oh yes,I agree with you..and everyone else.Referring to it as 'stuff' is an insult.It's like she's saying it's not 'normal' or like other people's hair...
hey ladies! thanks for your responses and support! sometimes i can be a little thin-skinned and i just wanted to know that this wasn't one of those times HAHA! blessings and keep it loc'd!
btw, thanks so much to all of you for supporting my blog! hopefully, my musings are of help to someone! again, blessings!
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