WHAT’S HAPPENING VS WHAT’S ACTUALLY GOING ON

The first time I went bald, it wasn’t just a random decision. It was a silent scream, a cry for help because I was struggling. But trust me, people were so caught up in what was happening, me going bald, that they completely missed what was actually going on, the depression.

We live in a society that treats symptoms, not causes. We focus on what’s happening because it’s visible, obvious. But what’s happening is just the consequence, the aftermath of a much deeper issue.

And when we keep treating the surface while ignoring the root, we create a cycle, a loop of repeated outcomes dressed in different disguises. It’s like chopping down a tree but leaving the roots behind. Of course it’s going to grow back.

Long story short, I was overwhelmed. Life felt heavy. And one morning, in the middle of that storm, I woke up with this urge to cut off my beautiful, silky, full natural hair.

That hair took me a year to grow. A year of painful detangling, scalp burns, and "pretty girl" compliments. In my right state of mind, would I just wake up and decide to shave it all off? Not just a trim. Not a low cut. I went bald.

And boom. The texts, the calls. "Why would you cut your hair?" "What were you thinking?" "Yen yen yen." It was all about what was happening, what was physically going on, 

Meanwhile, what was actually going on? That was eating me alive.

But here’s the thing. I got better. I healed. I moved on. But I still haven’t found the desire to regrow my hair. Maybe one day. Maybe not. Either way, I’m content.

And dearest reader, that’s the point. People don’t just do things for no reason. If we can hit pause on the judgment, hold off on the criticism, and look beyond what’s happening to what’s actually going on, we might just start solving the real problems, especially for teenagers who are silently battling their own storms.

So ask yourself. What’s happening? And what’s actually going on?

@favvy_Okwans🖤.