At first, I never really thought about why. I was a punk rock kid who just stopped brushing my hair and they happened. My first batch of dreads grew down nearly to my waist, then I cut them off (which I regretted almost immediately). It wasn't until I suddenly had short hair again when I realized that having dreads inadvertently sums up a lot of my personality and personal politics - in that I honestly don't care what people think of me, I don't adhere to what society tells me I'm "supposed" to do and I don't like being forced to spend my money on things I don't actually need. The amount of money people spend on even the most common hair care products is insane. No thanks. The dreads quickly grew back.

To me, having dreads is like giving a giant middle finger to the way the world works without being obnoxious or overly offensive - which the punk rock kid still living inside me finds very satisfying. I'm admittedly a pretty weird guy who thinks weird thoughts and really don't like a lot of stuff about the world. Instead of being a negative ***hole all the time, I find my own personal rebellions and revel in them quietly. It's not so much a need to be "different" but rather a desire to not be the same (which are two entirely different mindsets).

I find it oddly humorous that most of the people who give me dirty looks in the grocery store or wherever have absolutely no right to be looking down their nose at anyone. For example, I was leaving the post office the other day when this fat, trash heap of a woman with a cigarette hanging from her lip yelled "Hey! Wash your hair!" from a parked car. Instead of getting mad, it literally made me smile. It's almost like I know some sort of secret.