Hey y’all,

 

So it’s Saturday night and guess where I am! HOME.. The weather is getting chilly and I have no desire to go outside. I decided to start watching that new show on ABC how to get away with murder (HTGAWM). I must say that it is very unique and intriguing lol..

It gave me my inspiration for my blog this week. There were many women on the show wearing different types of styles. There is one in particular that I am dying to wear but because of my active duty status.. I am limited. The picture below is from one of the cast members from HTGAWM.

I love her hair. Although it may be simple, when you come from a culture of your hair having to be either short or in a bun.. This can be a style to die for!

Now every branch of service has their own set of regulations when it comes to hair. I feel the Marines have a very strict guide line and it can be very vague For example, when it comes to coloring your hair it says

>Ch 5 (c) Hair Color. If applied, dyes, tints, bleaches and frosting’s, which result in natural colors, are authorized. The hair color must complement the person’s complexion tone. Color changes that detract from a professional image are prohibited.

http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCO%20P1020.34G%20W%20CH%201-5.pdf

I am of brown skin complexion and you see all these dark skin to light skin women wearing blonde hair. In my own personal opinion I just feel that women color shouldn’t wear blonde because it is not our natural hair color, unless you are mixed or something… but even then it’s not natural.

But where the complexity comes in is how to determine whether this color will or will not complement ones skin tone.

This woman looks very nice with her blonde dreads, but and however for the type of job that I am in. This color would be considered eccentric (not only the color but the dreadlocks as well because they are not authorized in the Marine Corps.) because it doesn’t look natural especially around the roots.

But to be honest, the main reason is because she is brown skinned wearing blonde hair and it makes it harder to justify that bleach blonde hair complements her skin tone.

**** On another not to talk about the race issue with hair among women! When I was in boot camp, a white girl asked why we were allowed to dye our hair but white women were not allowed to wear braids. It was just funny that she felt that way about the subject because the white people from where I grew up at, wasn’t the least bit concerned about getting braids.

I learned real quickly that people don’t like controlled environments and if it looks like one is getting more or different treatment than the other, then that’s where the ignorant questions begin.

Any who

I feel that being a woman in the military kind of makes you lose a piece of you identity and individuality. Before you even get a glimpse of all the rules and regulations that are about to be placed upon you, you sign your life away to uncle Sam because the recruiter talks a good game about all the perks you would receive for joining the military.

Now don’t get me wrong, these past 8 years for me have been a roller coaster but I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. I just wish I could have a little piece of the old me back. I like to wear long hair. Sometimes I would add color to it to make it pop!

To try to do that now in the environment I work in would be 1. Unauthorized and 2. A waste of time. I feel that I shouldn’t invest in hair that I am going to have to constantly wear in a ponytail or bun every day (well at least 5-7 days a week) or the quality and style of the hair is ruined because I am always sweating from working out.

Sometimes when I go on leave, I wear hair that I am not supposed to. It’s a way for me to feel normal and not a part of an organization whether it’s for a week or two! That short amount of freedom does something for your sanity. When men go on leave, they usually grow a beard because that’s their way of feeling normal.

I wish there was a way that we could be ourselves while at the same time appeasing the masses! Our hair shouldn’t have anything to do with the quality and output of our work!

Grade me based off my work performance and not the color of my hair!