These Kids Today.....

Yesterday, I went down to the college to sign up for my writing class. I had to stop my the instructors office, pick up the form to get me into the closed course and then go and in person register. I stood in line for about 30 minutes before it was my turn. This 30 minutes helped me gain a new understanding of how, not 'with it' I am. I am officially...an adult. Not just an adult...but a parent type adult. I found myself mentally rolling my eyes so much it gave me a headache.
Let me share more of this experience.

I entered the building and went straight to the correct line. I stood there holding my papers firmly and minding my own business. I started watching the clock as I blissfully ignored everyone around me. As the minutes passed with nary a move in the line I started to notice the body art all filling the room. I was most fascinated with one young man two people ahead of me in line. I mentally traced the two large black stars. One over each of his ELBOWS. Really just big old stars like this:



Really, just black outlines of five-point stars. I suppose he will never lose his elbows that way. He can look and say, "yep, those are mine!" It made no sense to me. I then of course had to examine the other 20 or so tattoos covering his arms and neck and right behind his ears. He had a gun pointing from his elbow to his wrist. This one looked like a gun, but what was he trying to tell me about himself with it? Hmm? See, I started to psycho analyze the tattoos. Right next to one of the gigantic stars was a skull with crossbones. Um.. I think I drew things very similar on myself with ball-point pen when I was like in the fourth grade. I got in a lot of trouble for coloring on my arms and legs too. Really, it was a horrid rendition of a skull with crossbones. The lines were unsteady and would fade in and out. Not fade in and out as if intentional, the pattern of it was random. The shapes were uneven. I felt really sorry for the guy. I wondered if he had done it to himself with a very shaking right hand. Oh, and behind one ear? A poorly shaded club. Like from a deck of cards club. Then some random tribal art around his neck. It was all done in outlines other than the black shading on the club. I could have used him as a coloring book. But he was too far up, the lady in front of me probably would have not appreciated me stepping ahead of her.

So, here I was letting my mind wander about this man's choices of permanently imprinting odd images on himself and behind me I hear two young ladies talking about signing up for classes. In one of my glances away from bodyart man I noticed the tall brunette had her arms wrapped tightly around the petite blond girl. Alright, very good friends they must be. But as the line inched forward, they stopped talking and started making-out. Yes, they were smooching and moaning in the line to register for classes. I didn't have the nerve to turn and look to see how much groping was going on. But based on the stares from those at the registration desk something more must have been happening. I laughed quietly to myself. I felt like I was in the midst of a sideshow and didn't know my part in it. The slurping ended when the girls were joined by a young man with a spiked up mohawk. I remember those from the 80's, when they really made a statement. He started talking to the girls and I SWEAR he talked JUST like Owen Wilson when he is playing the idiot in a movie. You know with that drawl that speaks being high and of just not knowing what is going on. Now to top it off..guess what they started talking about....

JonBenet Ramsey of course!

In the room they had televisions set up showing CNN. No sound, but I suppose it gave all the waiting people something to watch. A picture of the man who has confessed to killing (or whatever it really is he has confessed to...) the little girl. They finally remember the name of the little girl and decided that it had been 'like' 15 years since she was killed. (It's really been almost 10..) The guy's point of reference for such things?
He said, "Oh hey, Alex was like not around when that happened."
One of the girls said back, "Oh your boyfriend is 15?"
Guy said, "No, he's 16 now."
Other girl said, "Oh, does that make it legal?"
Guy, "No.."
First girl, "You just tell yourself he's 16 now to make yourself feel better don't you.."
Guy, "Yeah..I do."

WHAT???
Can you see how I am feeling really old by this point??? Thankfully about six people finish up at the registration desks and the line moved forward quickly at this point. Look I don't care if you go cover yourself in tattoos or if you are a lesbian. But if your bodyart is horrid and you make out in a registration line you will be laughed at, even if it is under my breath as I walk away.