This post is in response to Pepples but I hoped alot of the girls would see it. My family is "regular black" (Good people but not mixed with any other ethnicity) There is no long hair in my family. My grandmother has worked since the 5th grade and was not worried about hair. She wore wigs from the time I can remember (and she would roll over if I didn't tell you she was cute!) My mother did not have any skill with childrens hair. She wore her own hair short (not on purpose I'm sure--but she permed every two weeks and the curling iron was out every day.) I have had broken, dry, brittle hair all of my life. It did not start to grow until I discoverd that hair care was NOT a curling iron. It is bra-strap now, a little past. My mom is like "get me on that program." (I have her in a weave now). So what I want to say is: yes you can grow your hair even if no-one else in your family has "long" hair. But honesly, it's a big change of lifestyle. I don't know about waistlength unitl I get there, but I think bra-strap is possible for EVERYBODY if you are strict with yourself. Do it.