Barbara
Princess
Back in January 2009, an older employee (64 years old) in another department made a statement about my hair. I normally wear it in a protective style (bun) 95 percent of the time, so she hasn’t seen me wear it down yet—even though a few other employees have. While I was working at the scanning machine, she stopped by and said: “It looks like you have it (the bun) attached to the back of your head.” I told her: “This is my natural hair.” She said: “It looks full. Have you ever thought about wearing it down?” I said: “I have.” Then she went away.
About a month later (February), while I dropped some mail in her office, she said: “Your hair looks so straight.” I said: “It’s straighter, because I just came from the salon last Saturday.” Then she said: “Is that really all your hair?” I said: “Yes, and I just had a major trim--about 4 inches.” She stared at me as if I was lying. So she stood up and stepped behind me. I showed her my trim, and she was shocked! I said: “I like it better because my ends are even, but I didn’t realize my stylist trim that much off . . . because I never look in the mirror when he’s working on my hair. I didn’t realize my hair was falling short from the comb until a few days later. She looked puzzled. Then I said: “I extended my comb out, but the hair was falling short, because it was shorter. I normally don’t look in the mirror when I comb my hair.” Her eyes bucked.
Then she said: “It’s so long!” I said: “No it’s not, it used to be down here (mid back & waist length), now it’s at the tip of my bra clasp. See it’s not a weave. The right side was about five inches longer than the left side. Then I proceed to pull my hair in opposite directions to show her that there aren’t any tracks.” She said: “My hair has never been longer than neck length, but I cover it with a wig.”
Now listen to this: I was oiling my hair in the rest room two days ago--Monday (parted it into four sections), and she walks in and says hello. Then before she goes into the stall, she comes back in front of the mirror and says giggly: “I can’t believe your hair is this long!” Then she actually yanks it, and then she does a serious, aggressive weave check with both of her hands. Maybe she’s looking for “glued-on hair” since she can’t find tracks. All the time she is laughing. I try to play if off by saying: “I told you this is not a weave. From time to time, strangers will ask if I’m wearing a weave, but I tell them the truth. This is my natural hair.”
Then she goes on to say: “My hair has never been beyond my neck!” It’s very rare to see African American women with hair that length, unless it’s a weave. That has to be genetics.” I said: “There are women with long hair.” Then I catch myself because I realize that I can’t tell her any information about my regimen or the hair care boards, because she’s flaky. She asked me to have lunch with her, (and it’s on her) a total of three times back in December and January. Each time I went to her office, she was no where to be found. No explanations or apologies either.
Would you believe til this day, she’s still asking me to have lunch with her? I give her some lame excuse every time now. Then she says: “I forgot or I had an errand to run, etc.” I told her: “Order the food any day, then let me know when it’s here. I’m too busy to go out for lunch now.” She said: “I’ll get the menu.” I say to myself: “Yeah right!”
Well, I know what a weave check feels like now, so I sympathize with you ladies. Now you see why I refuse to share my hair care regimen with women like this. If they ask for products, I’ll give them the crappy stuff that I no longer use on my hair. If they want healthy hair, let them figure it out for themselves.
About a month later (February), while I dropped some mail in her office, she said: “Your hair looks so straight.” I said: “It’s straighter, because I just came from the salon last Saturday.” Then she said: “Is that really all your hair?” I said: “Yes, and I just had a major trim--about 4 inches.” She stared at me as if I was lying. So she stood up and stepped behind me. I showed her my trim, and she was shocked! I said: “I like it better because my ends are even, but I didn’t realize my stylist trim that much off . . . because I never look in the mirror when he’s working on my hair. I didn’t realize my hair was falling short from the comb until a few days later. She looked puzzled. Then I said: “I extended my comb out, but the hair was falling short, because it was shorter. I normally don’t look in the mirror when I comb my hair.” Her eyes bucked.
Then she said: “It’s so long!” I said: “No it’s not, it used to be down here (mid back & waist length), now it’s at the tip of my bra clasp. See it’s not a weave. The right side was about five inches longer than the left side. Then I proceed to pull my hair in opposite directions to show her that there aren’t any tracks.” She said: “My hair has never been longer than neck length, but I cover it with a wig.”Now listen to this: I was oiling my hair in the rest room two days ago--Monday (parted it into four sections), and she walks in and says hello. Then before she goes into the stall, she comes back in front of the mirror and says giggly: “I can’t believe your hair is this long!” Then she actually yanks it,
and then she does a serious, aggressive weave check with both of her hands. Maybe she’s looking for “glued-on hair” since she can’t find tracks. All the time she is laughing. I try to play if off by saying: “I told you this is not a weave. From time to time, strangers will ask if I’m wearing a weave, but I tell them the truth. This is my natural hair.”Then she goes on to say: “My hair has never been beyond my neck!” It’s very rare to see African American women with hair that length, unless it’s a weave. That has to be genetics.” I said: “There are women with long hair.” Then I catch myself because I realize that I can’t tell her any information about my regimen or the hair care boards, because she’s flaky. She asked me to have lunch with her, (and it’s on her) a total of three times back in December and January. Each time I went to her office, she was no where to be found. No explanations or apologies either.
Would you believe til this day, she’s still asking me to have lunch with her? I give her some lame excuse every time now. Then she says: “I forgot or I had an errand to run, etc.” I told her: “Order the food any day, then let me know when it’s here. I’m too busy to go out for lunch now.” She said: “I’ll get the menu.” I say to myself: “Yeah right!”
Well, I know what a weave check feels like now, so I sympathize with you ladies. Now you see why I refuse to share my hair care regimen with women like this. If they ask for products, I’ll give them the crappy stuff that I no longer use on my hair. If they want healthy hair, let them figure it out for themselves.
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I'm trippin at you oiling the scalp in the bathroom!
I was totally caught off guard. I really didn't see it coming. 
