Just Straight Enough is Good Enough for Me

I wore my hair out for a while after straightening it for trimming. When people see the length and thickness people often me why I don't wear it "down" or "out" more often.

I really don't have a quick and easy answer for them. I spent most of my life with my hair relaxed in a variety of styles and for me being natural has become about embracing my hair as it is and within the realities of my life style.
 
Here is a small portion of my condensed list of reasons I don't wear it straight which will probably expand to be individual blog posts at some point because like most things in life there are layers, levels and history behind each point:

1. I consider myself a "curly natural" which means that I don't wear my hair straight often.
2. I am on a fitness mission (you can follow my blog on that here) and I sweat A LOT.
3. I'm still learning to style my hair without it being chemically straightened.
4. I'm learning to love me from head to toe. 
5. Hair is much more than just something that grows from my head. It's a statement, an investment, an entrepreneurial avenue, a testimony, and so much more.

 
Here are pictures of my hair after it had been straightened and trimmed. By the time I had taken the pictures my hair had begun to shrink but things like thickness, health length are fairly recognizable.

 I'm sticking my tongue out at my daughter who is standing in front of me giving me a hard time.

I didn't put on a bra outside of my shirt to show my length but that is how long it is. I know the picture looks a bit awkward, but that has more to do with my large arms than it does hair length.

As a natural do you prefer to wear your hair in protective/low-manipulation styles or loose and free?