Hair has been apart of my identity since I was a child and has been a staple of expression presently, and as I get older and prepare to move into my adult life, I look back to times when I was more expressive with my hair. I used to decorate my hair with beads and bows, and being able to express myself that way with my braids empowered me to love my braided styles, even in a social culture that encourages straight hair. As I have gotten older, my braids and expressiveness have toned down as I step into a more "professional" world that wants me to conform to uniformity, but I can still cherish my braids today while being able to reminisce on the comfort and happiness that I used to find in decorating my braids and what that has meant to shaping my identity today.
