Visit

The eldest scion of my clan came by for dinner and a visit. Which was really nice. She's 19, and I know at that age I was trying to put as much distance as possible between me and my parents.

And I know my advice creates an allergic reaction and I get that, too, because I sure as shit couldn't hear anything my parents said after I turned 16 until sometime in my 20s. Or maybe that was when I turned 9 until I was somewhere in my 30s.

And it's easy to expect all your kids' firsts to be positive firsts, like first kiss, first paycheck from a full time job, first time completing a car repair on their own. But there are other firsts in life like first ticket you got for being momentarily stupid behind the wheel of a car, first contract you shouldn't have signed, etc. I know someone who's 19 year old just learned the 'don't drive into water you don't know how deep is' lesson, ruined the engine on her first car.

It's tricky because you want to save your kids from the traps. Not that I'm immune myself, I've done stupid shit probably just today if I'm really honest. And so have you and probably so has anyone else who has a pulse. That's the riddle of the Foolkiller (the Foolkiller is likely my next tattoo, even though I cringed at some of the ink Em told me she is planning), how is a man ever a man without being a fool? Only when he's a dead man.

When I grokked that Em was irritated with my advice, I said, look, I know you're probably constitutionally unable to hear the advice, but I'm similarly unable to withhold it. So if I let you ignore it, can you let me offer it?

And I really liked her Tardis dress. That's some ink I'd approve of, just get your body tattooed into a big blue Police Call Box.