Scenario number 1: Imagine me without dreads. I know, I know… hilarious and spooky. Terrifying.
But imagine I’m walking through the forest with my un-dreaded hair and there is a spider that decides to jump onto my head from a tree that I’ve stepped under.
There is a spider in my hair and I am completely unaware of it. It is creeping around in my hair like its Tarzan swinging on vines – but I don’t feel it because its pretty small.
A few minutes later I wipe sweat off my forehead and brush my hand over my hair. The spider falls out.
Alternatively, I comb my fingers through my hair to fluff and fix it (or whatever people do) – and the spider falls out.
Alternatively, I take a swim in a creek that I find and the spider comes out.
Alternatively, I take a shower when I get home and wash and brush my hair – and you guessed it… The spider comes out!!!
It’s amazing but true!!!
Scenario number 2: Imagine me with dreads (not hard to do…)
I’m in the forest walking and there is that pesky bloody spider that decides to jump onto my head from the tree that I’ve stepped under.
Again, there is a spider in my hair/dreads and I am completely unaware of it. Because my hair is dreaded the spider is not so much like Tarzan in this scenario, but more likely to be cruising around and finding a nice hidey place. This spider knows that dreads are very cool and he really wants to hang around for a while (it’s a lifestyle thing for the spider).
A few minutes later I wipe sweat off my forehead and brush my hands over my dreads. The spider is under a dread at the time and doesn’t fall out.
I then comb my fingers through my dreads but there are a lot of dreads and the spider is in a different place than where I’m running my fingers through.
Then I take a swim but the spider is in its hidey place and pretty content to hang on.
I then go home and take a shower and wash my dreads after my hike. It is only here that the spider will be most likely to be flushed out. I cannot imagine the spider liking my taste in shampoo.
Again, I must say it – Amazing but more than likely true!!
Ok, ok – so this was a silly and exaggerated story about spiders and hair but my point is that anyone can get spiders in their hair. ANYONE!!!!! I would even go so far as to say that everyone has had a spider in their hair at some point. Yes, even you.
So you know that ridiculous story about the girl/guy/man/woman/child who had a spider living in their dreads? They probably did!!!!! Why? Because WE DON’T BRUSH OUR HAIR LIKE UNDREADED PEOPLE DO!!!! Mind blowing stuff hey????
I have had dreads on and off for 27 years and never, I repeat NEVER have I met anyone who has actually had a spider living in their dreads (and believe me, I have met many many many dreaded people). I don’t doubt that there have been people with a spider in their dreads, but surely the reason why a spider could be in them is pretty obvious??!!!
Is it because the dreads are dirty and the person is feral (I hate the negative connotation of the ‘feral’ word by the way – I’m feral about 50% of the time and LOVE it!)?
No.
It is simply because we do not brush our hair and spiders have a better chance of hanging around in our dreads.
On a side note, if you happen to live in South American where the Goliath birdeater tarantula (AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) lives – God help you and your dreads.
Sam
