lyrics; stories

“OK. I lied earlier. THIS was the highlight of my parenting week. Sending my 13-year-old daughter into the store for (whispers) “feminine hygiene products,” and having the following text exchange. I died, she gave me life, I died again. And she drew an illustration, on the spot, ON HER PHONE, to drive her point home.“

My grandpa: Uh I sure hope it isn’t 

Me: 

Gramps: 

Me: Did-

Gramps: making a video of seven seconds of joy 

Me, frightened: gramps? 

Gramps: *Sends a 7-second video of himself eating Almond Joy* Can you put it on vine for me

Gramma: But you’ve always loved writing!

Gramps: It’s the sleeping time 

Me: yeah? 

Gramps: So it’s the time to sleep? 

Me: …. yes? 

Gramps: Might I suggest you put head on pillow and sleep? 

Me, finally realizing: You watch tiktoks. YOU watch TIKTOK. 

Gramps: Just get some warm milk, you cretin 

Gramps: *Hangs up*

Gramps: DIS BOX EMPTY! WHEAT! 

Gramps: *Softly tosses the box onto the couch*

Me: what?!

Gramps: my Hispanic neighbor taught me how to use freshvakdos!

Me: use… What

Gramps: you know! Freshvakdos! Guacamole!

Me: do. Do you mean fre sh avo ca do?

Me: oh no

Gramps: oh yeah.

Me: please-

Gramps: may you receive every book you have ever wanted to read in your life

Me: ….how is this a curse

Gramps: … Only for the last chapters to be torn out and unavailable online

Me: GRAMPS NO

Gramps: *deadname* are you okay

Me: Gramps, could you maybe call me Kai instead…?

Gramps without missing a beat or bothering to take his phone away from his face, SCREAMING to my grandma: HONEY WE’VE GOT ANOTHER GRANDTHEM!!!

-he’s letting me live in his house while he is on a mission for his church. A gigantic house on lots of land with the large garden and a sunroom. He let me bring all of my animals as well.

-He sold me his car and truck super cheap. The truck is named Gorp. It stands for Grandpas Old Retired Pimpmobile.

-He sends me a box full of fuzzy socks every month because he knows my cat destroys them

-He started using they/them for.my pronouns and hasn’t fumbled once over phone or Skype

-He calls Gramma Lovely, Dearest, Sweetheart, and my personal favorite: Honey Buns (which I picked up ages ago and now my favorite person ever is labeled honey buns in my phone)

-He still says Wheat instead of Yeet. Intentionally.

-He speaks fluent Spanish and learned immigration laws to help keep his Hispanic neighbors safe when “ICE comes around with it’s ugly unchristian head”

- he may be a Mormon, but in his (and Grammas) eyes, Christianity is about love, forgiveness, acceptance, and being there for those you love and care for and he LIVES by that.

-when they aren’t on a mission for the LDS church, they are foster parents to strictly only older teenagers and troubled kids.

-He loves everyone and will accept anyone into his family as long as they are kind and patient.

-He learned ASL so he could communicate with his dead neighbor and be a friend to him

And finally, the man, the myth, the legend himself:

And what many people don’t realize is that this subculture was born as a way for young girls to express themselves in their own way. And it was also used as something against the adult life and the traditional culture, often seen as dull and boring and oppressive. By embracing cuteness, these young girls (and adult women, after a while) were showing non-conformation with the current standards.

NO OK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!

This is also how the kawaii fashions started! Girls began dressing in cute and off beat styles for themsleves, they were criticized by adult figures telling them “you’ll never find a husband if you dress that way!” to which they began to reply “Good!”

All the Japanese subcultures and fashions that evolved out of this became a rebellion to tradition and the starch gender roles and expectations the adults were forcing on the younger generations. As early as the 70s and still to this day you’ll see an emphasis on child-like fashion and themes in more kawaii styles and the dismissal of the male gaze with styles like lolita (a lot of western people assume lolita is somehow sexual due to the name of the fashion, but ask any Japanese lolita and they will tell you that men hate the style and find it unattractive which is sometimes a large reason they gravitate towards the style - they can express their femininity and individuality while remaining independent and without the pressure to appeal to men)

“My rescue cat allows me to help him groom”