Only At The Laundromat

Picture It: A Harlem laundromat this morning around 8:30. I'm folding my clothes when the owner walks over to me. Under any other circumstances physical and ethnic attributes would not be important, but today they are so..

Me: African-American, 30 year old woman rocking a natural hairdo which happens to be an afro that's about 3 inches long.

Owner of Laundromat: Middle-aged Dominican male with a low fade.

He approached and the exchange went like this:

OOL: So what are you going to do with your hair?

Me: Huh?

OOL: What you gonna do with your hair?

Me: Oh, um I don't know. Been thinking of dreads, but for now just the fro.

OOL: You know what you should try?

Me: Naw what's that?

OOL: A relaxer! (Note: he says this like he just dropped some science on me)

Me: Um, yeah naw. I'm gonna stick with the natural.

OOL: No just listen. You can get one of them Rihanna hair styles.

Me: I don't think my style is similar to Rihanna. She's a bit Rock-n-Roll.

OOL: No not one of the Rock-n-Roll styles. Just you know like cut short, but with a relaxer. That would look good on you.

Me: Well if you recall when I first started coming in here I used to have a relaxer and it was cut short like that.

OOL: Yeah, you should do that again. (Nods his head to emphasize his point)

Me: No, I'm gonna stick with what I got.

OOL: So what you trying to be like Rah Digga.

Me: Rah Digga?

OOL: Yeah you know 'I rock rough and tough with my afro puffs.'

Me. No you mean Rage.

OOL: Oooohh yeah! Lady Rage. You trying to do that?

Me: Not exactly. Listen, it's fine. I'll stick with what I got. Maybe I should have combed my hair before I strolled in. Maybe once you see the fro in all it's glory your opinion will be different.

OOL: No. You know you can do one of those relaxers at home with a comb. You just put it on a comb and comb it through your hair. You can do it yourself.

Me: Well the whole point of growing a natural is so I don't use harsh chemicals in my hair. So, yeah no I'm gonna stick with what I got.

OOL: Well ok. You're a nice looking lady but you'd look better with a relaxer. I'm not trying to insult you or nothing though.

Yeeeeppppppp!