After a little over a year or so, it didn't take long for me to realize that it was time to throw away the combs, brushes, hair dryers and multitude of hair 'care' products that I had accumulated and experimented with over the years. Sisterlocks was a lifestyle change, not a hair-do so I had to commit totally by shedding my old way of thinking. However, my weakness was still the mischievous obsession with my skin-toned colored hair! A little water/lemon juice/dash of peroxide in my spray bottle and voila! It's my challenge but conformity starts with baby steps and I am definitely toddling! But I was smiling now. My confidence increased because my new look signified that I was ready for confrontation, strange looks or compliments for that matter, which although they came, they weren't always from my black sisters; unless they were naturally locked as well. I was willing to deal with that though. My sister had started this family trend and when Martell joined the ranks, I thought, "Now this is catchy and something that represents us as a family..." I've never felt so connected to being proud of my blackness never in my life and even though shamed, I knew that change is a constant state of growth in every life journey and I accepted anything upcoming with a universal shield of conquest. My first battle? Of water, snow and steam! :-)