Cut Some of My Locks

Ya'll may recall I had major lock angst last month and earlier this month, I was debating whether or not to cut my hair:
Talk Me Off the Ledge

I love the ease of having locks though, I can go weeks without doing anything at all to my hair other than washing it once a week. And when I 'do' it, that usually involves trimming the unlocked hair and styling it, or occassionally curling my locks or doing them up in bantu knots or some other style. and I feel like locks fit me, this is my hairstyle. I feel if I cut them off I would regret it. and I'm releasing the 2nd edition of my book Dread Mama in May, how would it look for me to have a book on dreadlocks and then not even have locks anymore. Some people here advised me to try cutting them down a little, and then I met the awesome Aishah Shahidah Simmons, (The director of the No! documentary ) and she had cut off a foot of her locks. Her hair looked so pretty. So I decided to do that, cut them down to collar-bone length. I cut a few inches off of some to get started, but...it didn't feel right. Then I recalled seeing luvlilocs pics and how she shaved the back of her head...Her hair was the length mine is now about 2 years ago; maybe longer. So I decided to cut off the locks in that area, the locks in the vey back. There were 3 of them. I'm telling ya'll my neck felt instantly lighter and better. I thought I cut fairly close to my scalp but when I picked and pulled the hair left out, it was A LOT. Here are the pics, please excuse the quality because I used a disposable camera (I still have not gotten a new digital camera, for shame):

Front view, I tried to pull the longer locks to the front to get a good shot of the length:


Back view, I had cut several inches off a few:


The heavy neckers, the longest one has a cowrie shell on it:


Look how much hair I left:


and no I am not locking up the front, I just have my unlocked hair in twists. :)

Me being silly:


So now I have unlocked hair in the front and the back! In the last 2 pics my locks are all draped down my back so it's hard to see them. I just cut 3 in the back, not all of them.