I've always tried to be a little adventurous with my hair. Through college I've had my hair short and long, I've been a blonde, brunette and even a redhead. You only live once, right? I love my hair! Lately, however, my curly mane has been driving me up the wall. I'm sure other curly haired girls and even some boys can vouch for me. Curly haired people know what its like to have people groan when they sit in front of them at the movies and what it feels like to find a note from your 6th grade boyfriend in your hairbrush and they hate explaining how they are not a distant cousin of Kenny G. It's a rough life.

So after much stress from my curly locks, a thought came to me. Why don't I get dreadlocks? They worked for George Clinton, why not me? To me, this hairstyle would not be that much different from what I already have, a giant knot on top of my head. There is no other time in my life that I could do this. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to show up at my first business meeting with dreads and I'm definitely not going to be granny dreads. This might be my only chance!

How come when I broke the news to my friends they stared, laughed, and asked 'Wait ' you aren't serious'? This is when everyone started freaking out. They told me I would be 'the dirty kid.' 'You know people with dreads don't wash their hair'?, 'You know you are going to have to buzz your head to get rid of them,' 'Did you know they found new kinds of bacteria in Jimi Hendrix's dreads'? That actually is pretty gross.

The only ones who seemed to support my decision were flying disc lovers, art majors and drunk people. Are the stereotypes true? Do only hippies like/have dreads? Can't dreads be crazy, sexy, cool?

So what should I do? Should I follow the norm or step out of the box? I'm going to admit, I'm kind of nervous. Will my parents be upset if I show up to Christmas Mass looking like a 'hippy'? And what's wrong with being a hippy and what does that even mean anymore? When I think of a hippy I see someone with a free-spirit, a laid back person, who loves life and all the things that make it sweet. Call me hippy all you want.

Before I do the dreads, dreads, I decided to do some research, because there really is no going back. I have discovered people with dreads actually do wash their hair'it's kind of like washing a sponge. And yes you have to cut your hair to get them off, but you can keep two inches.

And my research as to whether UD support dreads comes with no conclusion. Of the people I asked it seems about half and half.

So after much deliberation I went to my hairdresser, took a deep breath and asked, 'Can you dread it'? He laughed and replied, 'Try Yellow Springs hunny.'

Maybe the dreads will have to wait for a while, because I might loose my courage on a trip out to Yellow Springs. However, I hold my ground and say, dreads are pretty cool.