My adventure with natural hair has been a long and winding road. This project has caused a vast range of emotions. Hair days that have reinforced my self-confidence and others that forced me to close the blinds, silence my phone and become one with my bed! My Caucasian sisters may not be able to relate to the natural hair phenomenon, but you can identify with the lengths we go to in pursuit of the perfect hair. Long, short, curly, straight, blonde or brunette…it’s all about the hair, a woman’s crowning glory. Why oh why does it have so much power over our self esteem?

I have driven miles, engaged in lengthy conversations and invested hundreds…make that probably more than $1000. on getting the perfect hair cut and products for my Natural hair. And still I search. Whether in store or online the illusive perfect products are a must. I have tried my share over the years. There have been some that lasted only one shampoo conditioning cycle and others that have worked well for a while before they gradually lost their mojo.

My latest favorites are fairly exclusive and expensive. The products are specific for wavy or curly or kinky as is the packaging. It’s the packaging that first caught my eye. A handy little gift set for frizzy hair. After trying the products I liked them well enough to buy the ones for kinky hair. I was pretty satisfied. I even recommended the line to several friends. And then it happened. During a recent shower, shampoo and conditioning experience I reached for frizzy instead of kinky. The outcome was the same; my hair looked the same using a different product. This made me think if my results were the same using the product with different packaging could it be that the product inside the various bottles were all the same? Was the packaging and presentation just camouflaging what was inside? After all my initial attraction was for the attractive presentation.

That made me think about more important areas of life that can cause us to be swayed by the packaging of an opportunity or a relationship. The truth is what is on the inside that counts, the essence of the product. How many of us have been guilty of getting too serious, much too soon about the guy with the slick car, flashy wardrobe and smooth line whose heart is…cold? Or accepted that coveted invitation that looked good on the surface but turned out to be a dud? Why is it that women often exercise more due diligence when it comes to their hair than they do regarding life altering decisions?

Whether hair products or life choices we must make sure that we look beyond the glossy presentation. We can fix our hair…even if that means buying some! Repairing our lives can be a much more long and winding road.