Recognize me? No this is not a guest post, you are looking at pictures of yours truly back in the good 'ol days. Well, maybe not the best of days, but that is indeed me up their with hair.
If you have been following along for some time you have heard me share bits and pieces of my journey with Alopecia Universalis, if not you can catch up here. For a long time, nearly seven years, I hid behind wigs, too afraid to share my true identity and appearance with those around me.
First let's start with a little disclaimer, I have many friends who continue to wear wigs and I have nothing against that choice as they were so formative and helpful for the deep pain I was going through at the early time of my hair loss.
However, now looking back, I couldn't be more happy to be liberated from the trap of thinking I needed hair to be beautiful.
When I transitioned to going all natural, completely bald and no make up, I had much support from a large audience. However I had several encounters with people that were not so helpful.
Since going bald I have been asked or rather told on countless occasions that I will surely go back to wigs when I graduate college and jump into the real world with a career.
Half the time I was offended and thought they were absurd, yet the other half of me continued to believe the lies that no employer would take me seriously or want me to represent their company if I didn't look 'beautiful' according to society's standards.
As I am now to that point in my life I couldn't say more confidently that I will absolutely not return to wigs. Despite the fact that I have landed an amazing full time career and they are 100% supportive of my lifestyle and appearance, I have realized above all else how important it is to stay true to myself.
This is me. I am bald. I likely always will be. If someone cannot accept that or wants me to change such a shallow and worldly entity then I would rather not pursue such options that put outward over inward beauty.
The Lord has blessed me with an incredibly hard yet rewarding journey through Alopecia and I can say with full assurance that He has and always will be faithful to me, wigs or not. And that's all that really matters, is it not?
Labels: Being BALD, identity
