What Locs Have Taught Me About Life in Only Two Months

Ever since the day I locked my hair, I’ve run to the mirror each day like a child on Christmas morning hoping to see that my locs have finally matured. Aching to see them in full bloom and draping down to my hips. But no, because they are only at month two. The journey is slow when you stare blankly at them. It was in a moment of staring that I realized my locs are trying to teach me. This brings me to the three things I’ve learned from my locs in these first two months.

1. Patience

Locs are going to mature in their own time. In all honesty, there isn’t much that an individual can do to make them “lock faster.” All you can do is enjoy the ride. This is why patience is at the TOP of this list. Not only is this the keyword during this loc transition but it is in my daily life as well. As a professional track and field athlete training for the upcoming season, I’ve wanted to put on my triple jump shoes and get straight to jumping! But that isn’t how this pre-season works. There is a lot that goes into getting my body ready to be able to handle 22 times my body weight when doing my event at full speed.

With any goal or venture, taking baby steps, handling the details, and organizing logistics on how it will work can be tedious. It seems as though it goes on forever and when someone has as big of goals as I do, excitement can sometimes get the best of you. But it is in this period that the foundation and strength are grown. It’s in this time that everything else that you want to build on top will find its stability.

If I want my locs to be as juicy and large as I imagine, these moments are critical. They need to be taken care of, washed, moisturized, retwisted, and given their time.

The details, ya know?

I’ve learned to take a step away from the mirror and allow them to flourish.

2. Acceptance

The ‘starter loc’ stage is considered one of the roughest parts of the locking process. This stage is said to last from 2–6 months. The locs get frizzy, a little wild, and some would go so far as to describe them as unkempt. If the loc God(dess) began with comb coils some of these coils may get very puffy and untwist at the roots. If they started with the…