I've written before about the crazy church I was raised in. I've told you how I wasn't allowed to do ANYTHING as a teenager unless it involved covering my head whilst strumming on the 'tar for Jesus.
I'm not exaggerating by saying that either. I wasn't allowed to wear make up. EVER. Even to my own wedding. (I realise I was an adult, 19 year old adult, but I was still scared of burning in hell because I was a little Jezebel) I wasn't allowed to wear pants, to go to dances, to be involved in any after school activities, including the ones I was good at, like sports and music (because my dad KNEW I was only pretending to be interested in them so I could BE BY THE BOYS!). I wasn't allowed to get rides to school with friends. I wasn't allowed to talk to boys, talk about boys, stand next to boys, think about boys. I wasn't allowed to KNOW about sex (I got BUSTED because I knew what period was, and I'm not talking about the dot at the end of a sentence) I wasn't allowed to paint my nails, cut my hair, wear anything that showed my figure at ALL.
Basically, all I was allowed to do was go to church and talk about church and invite friends over from church so we could have church in the living room. Church in the living room was called "devotions" and it was where my dad would order my mom to play the piano and we were forced to sing hymns to Jesus while my dad would shout "hallelujah" and "SING LOUDER, JESUS CAN'T HEAR YOU!" and where I would end up telling them how much I hated my life and them for not letting me HAVE a life, after which my mom and dad would lay their hands on me and pray satan out of me and then proceed to hit me with a belt.
Like, WOAH, I got carried away there. All I really wanted to do was set up the next picture I am about to post. A picture that shows what happens to teenage girls who aren't allowed to express themselves, to discover themselves, to experience life outside of her home, outside of the church. You've heard of good girls gone bad, right? You've heard the stories of what happens to Preachers daughters. But have you ever SEEN what happens to preachers daughters who aren't allowed to do anything BUT go to church and sing for Jesus?
THIS is what happens. A girl who clearly WANTS to have fun and be crazy, but doesn't know HOW TO because she's NOT ALLOWED OUT OF THE HOUSE. All of my friends have pictures of dances, proms, nights out with friends. Me? I'm locked in my bedroom with a LAMP CLIPPED TO THE TOWEL THAT IS AROUND MY WAIST.
Parents, let your kids enjoy life, let them live it to the fullest. Let them be who they are. Let them make memories that they can look back on and smile.
Even though I can laugh about it now, there was a time where the thought of what I had missed out on in life hurt me SO MUCH I wanted to die. But I couldn't die because people loved me, so I got drunk a lot instead.
(p.s. I wish I had THAT waistline again)
Dayum!
I don't have any pictures from back when. And what a cool lamp!