Tattoos and Other Stuff

Part of the beginning of the "Great Train Wreck" that was my Life in '96 had to do with issues with Girl Red Shoes (GRS).  She was always a great 'Straight A' student in school... and when she learned that there was a School here in Mississippi for Math and Science (MSMS), she wanted to attend.  She went through all of the screening and was readily accepted.  The school is housed on the campus of one of our state universities and is a residential high school.  Students get to complete their junior and senior years of education here.


I remember the day we had to deliver her and her belongings to MSMS.  When it was time to leave, I remember looking back at her as I turned the corner, and I honestly feel that was the last time I saw "my daughter."

We were allowed phone calls, but the first-year students were not allowed to come home or have visitors for the first six weeks... something about helping with home sickness...  After the six-week moratorium had expired, the school hosted an open house so everyone could get together again... and the girl I was reunited with was not my daughter... she had changed so much... 


I know change is inevitable... but not so much at such a young age...  She had gone 'goth'... dyed her hair black, black nails, very disrespectful... I was not a happy Dad...


Anyway...


When it was time for her to be able to come home to visit for the first time, I took her to dinner, and noticed immediately that she had gotten her nose pierced... I was not a happy Dad about this since I hadn't given permission for this to happen (she was still a minor)... and in order for a minor to get tattooing or piercing, parental consent was required... which meant she either lied about her age, or someone forged a form granting consent.

I got over it... and the next time she came home, she had this tattoo on her back... again, I was not a happy camper... yadda yadda yadda... see above disclaimer...


This all would have been happening about the time that the Mrs Ex-To-Be-Redshoes was angry with me because I had questioned her about why she had called our son stupid...  so we were well on our way to divorce...


There were issues with drugs and alcohol... all other stories... this is about tattoos and piercings...


After she had graduated from MSMS, she was enrolled at Alluvial Flood Plains State University... where her Mom and I still work today...  She came by my office one Friday to tell me she was going to visit a friend that lived out of town... and that she would be back sometime over the weekend... being the Dad that I am, I told her, 'whatever it is you get pierced... tattooed... whatever.... I don't want to know about it...'


Monday morning, I am sitting at my desk, trying to coordinate notes for that days lectures... when I look up and see my daughter standing at my office door smiling at me...


"Good morning!", I say... to GRS...


"Gooh.. mawen",... she says to Dad...


WTF?!?!?!?!  She had her tongue pierced!!!!  Of all the reasons I've ever heard of... for a woman to get her tongue pierced... that was NOT something that Dad wanted to think about his daughter doing!!!!!!   ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Anyhoo... she has become an artist's canvas for tattoos... the young fellow that she married was heavily tattooed when I met him... and he is a genuinely nice guy... 


GRS now has two full tattoo sleeves...  all kinds of body decorations...  


As for me, I am dedicated to the Memory of my buddy, Barry... and part of honoring his Life and our friendship is that I donate blood on a regular basis... any piercing or any tattoo that I would get would mean that I would not be able to donate blood for a year...


My friendship with Barry... and honoring that Friendship trumps wanting any tattoos...


So... my friend, Bathwater... I have no tattoos... no piercings... and I'm the guy who went to go see Limp Bizkit with his son!!!