Walking a mile in another person's hair.

What role does hair play in a person's life?
For some people they have cultural norms, religious norms that must be followed.
In America, certain jobs require certain looks.  Short hair for men and well kempt hair for women.  Grey hair is a sign of age.  Then there are more extreme hair styles.  Colors of the rainbow. Shaved hair on women, Long hair on men.
I want to focus on women and hair as beauty is important to most women.
I have lived with a few extreme hair styles.  I have lived through the reactions of breaking past the societal norms. It was a learning experience as well as a fashion statement.
When I was young my first extreme hair style was blue pink and purple colors.  I enjoyed the fun of it.  At my age of 18/19 I was looked at as free spirited and fun loving.  Irresponsible at worst.  But I never was given a second glance.  This is the most accepted by society of extreme hair but the least allowed in a work place unless you are really lucky.
I was never discriminated out right because of having blue hair.  I enjoyed the perks of being a dancer and free to look however I want.  I was exotic after all.
Then a few years down the line after life began to take its toll on me, I had a freak out.  I damaged my hair to become platinum.  It was beyond repair.  SO I being the extreme person I am...shave it off to near bald.  I saved the new hair growth and just got rid of the blonde.
I had originally become a platinum blonde because I had just had a baby and I wanted to be that perfect stepford wife and I lost my mind. 
Trying to fit into another person or societies value of normal does not suit me.  it rejects me.
So i looked in the mirror and I had to breathe in because this was the biggest change I had ever seen and it was irreversible until time changed its mind.
Eventaully my hair grew out and I left it alone.  All natural no hair dye.  It was healthy and happy.
I only dyed it red once and instantly regretted it. So I immediately changed it back to my typicl warm light brown/dark blonde.
I am just letting it grow and doing its thing.

But I reflect back on being near bald and the experience that was me not fitting into gender norms or society and its standard of beauty. Also on top of a time when gay marriage was being brought to the forefront.
I was working as a cashier and of course the uniform was unflattering.  It was a boxy polo shirt. Unisex.
I was called Sir several times.
Parents coached their children to tell me that they were supporting chic fil a and their stance against gay marriage.

I am not gay. Let me be blunt.

And everyday I encountered the general public and their generalizations about me.
I had a fiance, and a kid. I had only shaved my head because my long hair was ruined.  They did not ask me WHY i had short shaven hair.
Being white did not help.
Black women can have shaved heads and its called Fierce.
White women are called gay.

At least in my small town.

My eyes were opened to the prejudice of the world and all because I made a fashion choice.
I have learned that I will be judged on my looks at every turn.
I have learned that a vast majority of people are rude, arrogant and unenlightened.
And I got to experience first hand a taste of the daily prejudice that my GLBT friends face daily.

They are strong for living the life they have. No one chooses to be discriminated against.

Unless you are me, apparently.
This is how we all learn and grow.  This is killing the ego.

My hair is strong and thick now.
And I have a new endeavor that I am contemplating.

Dread Locks...
I have researched them in and out for 10 years now. I want them in the worst way.
I feel they will look very hippie on me.
And I would imagine that they would fit in now for "white" people because of the green organic movement.
However after more research I have read that "black" people feel it is racial appropriation. And that no one understands the implications of dreads.  Hopefully by Febuary I will have them.
Until then I gauged the reactions of people by just walking around a crowded store.  I had my hair in realistic fake dreads.  They give the illusion but wash out.

I hypothesized that I would get weird looks from ethnic people especially.  But in reality it was the same group of people that gave me hell about being bald.  Older white men. these shit heads think they make all the rules.
No one else cared and a few people smiled at me in a peaceful knowingly respectful way.
And this may be the most intersting hair style that I will take on.
Dreadlocks is a lifestyle not just a look...right down to the maintenance of them.

It is a commitment.
A lifestyle.
And there is apparently a community where it is accepted.

And I would like to delve a bit more into this as I have a feeling there is going to be discrimination for a white female wanting to wear this hair style near a conservative christian area.

The more I experience another person's pain from discrimination...even if I can shed it later...I can never undo how it feels.