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My big interest is hair; there are so many things that you can do with it! You can braid it, twist it, curl it, pin it and more! But it's not just the versatile quality of hair that has me gripped. It?s to do with how I see myself; not especially pretty, a bit geeky and generally not popular. However, now, I can style my hair in any way I feel like. I can express my personality. I can show the real me . . . through my hair!
It all started almost a year ago, when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. I undid my plait and lay back on my pillow, spreading the hair out like a fan. I couldn't see what I was doing, but the theory of a French plait was already tattooed in my brain - but my hands just needed to learn it. My first try was extremely messy, but for a first try it wasn't bad. Every day, I would do a French plait, and every day, I would get a little better and the time I spent doing it would be a little shorter.
I was about twelve, and I was still recovering from having a blow to my self-esteem. I didn't do much with my hair and didn't care much about how I looked. I kept myself to myself, but that didn't always work; I'm not a very relaxed person and I find it hard to be anything but awkward. But with a new hairstyle, it was like a new me; I became more confident in myself. You could actually see me smile! Now, I find it hard to do anything but smile, but then, I must have always looked miserable.
The weeks turned into months and my hairstyle repertoire continued to grow. The French and Dutch plaits were safely stowed under my belt and I became more adventurous. Too adventurous. I came into school with my hair plaited on top of my head. Two boys saw it and laughed. I took it down straight away. I still cared a huge amount about what everyone else thought about me and couldn't take the teasing - not just yet. I regressed a little then, steering clear of any unconventional dos. I stuck with ponytails and braids. However, after some time, I did make a comeback.
If we speed up to the present day, I'll talk about me. Now. I like to have a different hairstyle every single day - it's a way to vent any pent-up feelings I have, and it's fun! The weirder, the better! Is it unconventional? Great! Let me at it! I do it for two reasons; it makes me feel better about myself and I builds my confidence up when I can show myself that when people laugh, I let them laugh - who cares? If I like it, then that's all that matters, right?
So, how can you apply my story to yourself? At work, at school or in any other social environment, you can strive to be unique. Being conspicuous is a good quality, but confidence is a useful skill. If people don't like something about you, or laugh, ignore it. Ignoring things like this, make you stronger - especially when the things that you have to ignore are pretty big. I urge you to be creative - experiment! You've got one life to live, so don't waste time caring about how other people feel you should live it. What matters to you? Pursue it.
Don't look back.
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