Organic Dreads vs. Sisterlocks?

So I've been following the ongoing online conversations and debates about people's decision to lock their hair (as well as the lively discussions about WHO decides to do so!). Whether or not people consider themselves to be getting closer to their 'cultural roots' or to be freeing themselves from the tyranny of chemical processing and marathon braiding or twisting sessions, the choice to lock one's hair provokes a lot of commentary from friends, family, and strangers alike. I thought that the transition to sisterlocks would be simple for me because I was accustomed to wearing my hair in microbraids. Although people have repeatedly said that sisterlocks and braids are entirely different things, that information went in one of my ears and out the other. My hair is going through a crazy stage right now, but I remain committed to working on my own obsession with how other people perceive me and my own sense of my self.

My friend and colleague in the picture below has a similar background to me, growing up a minority in majority white areas...the complexities of integration :) His mother also responded strongly to his decision to dread his hair, and he spent many an evening dodging scissors and clippers. He started his locks himself around age 12 and has been wearing them for over ten years. He was also the first brotha to complement my change to sisterlocks (I accepted the complement but I wonder why he never commented on all of my various braid jobs?! :)