Why I went natural and what I've learned

It hit me recently that I didn't share my reasons for beginning the journey to natural. How silly of me....
First let me explain what natural means to me: I do not chemically alter the texture of my hair, I do not apply other harmful things to my hair on a regular basis (i.e flat iron, pressing comb more than every six months), I use products that have shown to do the least harm to my hair (i.e. paraben and sulfate free products), I embrace the natural texture of my hair, I attempt to protect my hair especially the ends a majority of the time.

So about two and a half years ago I was an avid perm user, I had gone to the salon to get my hair colored by a supposed professional (back story: I had my hair colored on several occasions with no adverse effects using the at home coloring products) I waited about 3 to 4 weeks to relax my hair and I had major breakage at the roots. About 6 months after the breakage my hair was half the length of the other hair and began to make styling difficult. The hair that did not break off continued to grow only furthering the difficulty hiding the difference. I had never been one for fake hair but had to resort to something because I was so fearful that someone would see my breakage.
About this time a friend of mine (of the Caucasian persuasion) asked during an alcohol induced silly moment if my hair was made straight by chemicals why I couldn't  just go wet it and make it curly. She insisted that I do this so that she could see it curly.
This started the wheels in my head to turning and I thought, heck I have never even seen my hair curly.  My hair had been straight for as long as I had known it. I had noticed that when I washed my hair even when permed if I did not blow dry it pretty waves would appear. So the next thing you know I had made the decision to stop relaxing my hair, much to my mother's dismay. She after all had been the one to decide to relax it because she could not comb it. Why you ask? Because she was using straight hair tools and methods which were often too small to comb with and moisture was avoided as everyone knows it is a black girls enemy (I'm being sarcastic here).
So my first step was getting braids to get over that initial must perm...must perm feeling. Then I began pressing my hair, because I couldn't let go of the need for straight. After this I had a weird moment while preparing for dance competition in which I saw my curly hair looking so pretty and those darned straight pieces ruining the hang. I just started chopping and arrived for competition with no length and curls :)

So if I had gone to the salon and got color with no breakage, or my friend had not had that final drink, or even if she had not asked when I was already unhappy with the unevenness of my hair I may not be natural today. For so many years I had healthy hair with relaxers, but I think the relaxer coupled with my addiction to the flat iron resulted in the damage that left my hair weak, as well as the products I used which stripped my hair of the moisture it needed to survive. But now I am happily growing curls and wouldn't have it any other way.

So through this journey I have really learned to love me in my skin. I was dating someone when I decided to do the chop and he was not at all cool with the idea of me having short hair. He had to be dropped... I have started experimenting with my hair in ways that I never did with straight hair, because the straight was the style. I have also learned to love water and moisture and to enjoy these things with no fear that my edges will curl up, they are always curled. I am trying to learn to let the silly things people say go in one ear and out the other (for instance my Granny opening the door by saying " I was wondering who that nappy headed little girl was as my door".) I have gone through the experience of being a walking petting zoo, people have often thought it was their right to put their hands in my hair and comment as to how different or weird if feels. ( people don't always think, especially children).