My dreadlocks symbolize many different things for me. 

My dreadlocks are a symbol for freedom. I got my dreadlocks a week before top surgery and decided to get them because I knew I wouldn’t be able to bathe for seven days after the operation. To me, they have become much more than a hairstyle. They symbolize the freedom my top surgery has brought to me and remind me of those first seven days of pure joy. 

My girlfriend started my dreadlocks off for me. One of the most frequently asked questions I get about them is “Where did you get them done?” I didn’t go to a place to get them done, I had my lovely girlfriend do it. Whenever someone asks this question I am able to answer “My girlfriend made them for me.” More often than not they ask about her. I am then able to talk about her. My dreadlocks symbolize love. 

The last meaning is rebellion. Some say it’s much harder to get a job with dreadlocks meaning it’s harder to succeed. Why should I cut my hair to fit into a system set up by the government? I’m proving this system wrong. I’ve been hired to speak at schools, colleges, groups, and conferences and I’ve done it with dreadlocks on my head. Some of the teachers have told me that having dreadlocks make it easier for the students to relate to me and trust me. Hey, Bob Dylan said he would never trust a man with short hair. 

Dreadlocks also symbolize patience and waiting. It can take a full year for the dreadlocks to form completely if you are going the natural root, like I am. I’ve learned to be a good at waiting especially because I’m in a long distance relationship. 

One day I will get rid of them, but for now, while surgery is still fresh, while I’m in a long distance relationship, while I’m still a youth, I like having them and I love the meaning they hold to me.