Becoming natural

I was born in Youngstown, Ohio and my family later moved to Atlanta, GA when I was six years old. I am the youngstest child my sister Shai is six years older then I. Growing up I hated to get my hair washed it would be a full blown out session for my Mother and Sister to get me under the kitchen sink just to wash my hair. Once they manged to wash my hair and calm me down, my mother would braid my hair and place beads on it. She would do this every two weeks and every once in a while she would attempt to press my hair, but this press was always short-lived as I sweated badly in my hair. Fast forward some years and I am 12 years old standing in the bathroom staring at a box of "Just For Me". My Mother had purchased this "kiddie perm" for me a few months ago and was trying to debate over perming my hair. Months would pass and I would stand in the bathroom staring at this "magical box" I wanted to be like the girls on the box so badly. Occasionally I would ask my Mom "when are you going to perm my hair, I am the only girl in 6th grade with ponytails!" Finally my mother gave in and when I asked her she replied "today, I will perm your hair today!" I was so excited for this to happen and when she first laid this cold concoction on my hair I screamed and laughed with joy. Two hours later I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in awe, I looked just like the girls on the box, I just knew I was fly(it was the 90s people)! And for the next ten years I would perm my hair and be it's slave, every once in a while I would attempt to do some coloring which would always yield in dry,broken off hair in the end. Around the time that I was 21 I started going to a salon( the shop) to get my hair done and every two weeks come hell or high water I made sure I got a wash and wrap. This continued on for a whole year in conjunction of my relaxer that I would get every 4-6 weeks. Aside from the cost this experience was time consuming and mentally draining. It wasn't until Dec 07 that I rushed from work to make sure that I got my touch-up to make sure my hair was on point for Christmas and New Year's. I got to the shop at about 6:30pm and didn't leave until about 10:00pm (yes, you did read right) I during that time had my hair "touched" by 5 different stylist  and by the end I had hair that was relaxed, set on rollers, under a hooded dryer, flat ironed, wrapped and blow- dried before it had a chance to form a huge scab on the front of my head, I paid my usual 70.00 (yes, and this was back in 07 before the recession!) got in my car and told myself "I can't do this for the rest of my life!" Weeks went by and I contemplated on what I would do with my hair next I hated to perm it myself but didn't know or have a clue to what"being natural" was, I decided to let the perm grow out and see what happens. Fast forward almost 3 years in February and you have me: My natural self... Twisted Marie