I've been natural (as a teenager), short press and curled (as a 20something) and relaxed (from 1994 on, shortly before I turned 30). I don't mind the high maintenance, because my biological sister is a stylist and she always makes sure I'm well-conditioned.
I also color my hair. Right now, I'm caramel brown.
Frankly, I think it's a personal choice whether you relax your hair or not. There are those who attach political or other meanings to it, but that's not my thing. My political concerns have to do with 70 percent of our kids being born out of wedlock and the educational gap between black men and women, but that's a whole another thread.
Hurh issues
Threaded Mode