CONTENT WARNING – Swearing – Reference of catcalling/inappropriate language to minors.
When I was 14 years old, I used to wear my hair in plaits.
When I walked through town after school to get home, this one man always shouted at me from his car.
“Alright blowjob with handlebars?!” He would say.
His mates would laugh.
My mates would laugh.
He must’ve been in his 30s.
I remember smiling sweetly.
Laughing along, even.
Didn’t have a clue what he was on about, really.
I went home.
Looked at myself in the mirror.
And took out the plaits.
For fear of unwanted attention.
14.
FOURTEEN.
And I didn’t wear plaits again until my mid twenties.
And I continued to wear them.
I mean….
They’re versatile.
Keep your hair out of your eyes.
You can wear them for a few days at a time without having to style your hair.
Seriously. As a mother. They’re amazing.
And then a few days ago.
This woman asked me…
“Aren’t you getting too old to wear your hair in plaits now?”
33. Thirty fucking three.
And I got home that day.
I looked in the mirror.
I actually questioned whether this woman’s comment bared any weight.
Whether it held gravity.
And for a little minute there, as my brain took me back to the 14 year old me, I nearly took them out.
I nearly believed her.
I nearly took out the sodding plaits.
This stuff really fucks me off.
That I was made to question myself.
As a woman.
I was sexualised as a 14 year old and then by the time I hit 33 apparently I’m deemed ‘past it’.
Well. Let me tell you.
I’m a female.
IM A FEMALE.
And I can wear my hair however the fuck I want to.
And I should be able to do so without having my motives, age, attractiveness, sexual nature/desires questioned.
Fuck you porn industry for sexualising school girls.
Fuck you celebrity magazines, for making women believe they should look a certain way and behave a certain way. Especially to other women (this is the hardest part for me to contemplate).
Happy plait day ladies and gents.
Fuck the system.
Do what makes you happy.
And don’t change for anyone.
EVER.
#GrowAVag
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