How it all began

Chapter 3

My neighborhood was a typical 1970's subdivision with sidewalks, two story houses, two car garages, big backyards and patios with a place to barbeque. During the summer my friends and I played all day and into the night. We played softball, football, soccer, ghost in the graveyard, T.V. tag, truth or dare, and of course rode our bikes. I will never forget the good humor truck when we all ran in our houses to get our money. My favorite was the chocolate éclair bar and the malted milk cup.

I had long curly reddish brown hair and due to being outside all summer, a dark tan. I wanted to be a blonde with straight hair. I asked my mom if I could dye my hair blonde and she said absolutely not. I decided after she turned me down on something as simple as dying my hair I wouldn’t get very far with the dolphin tattoo. I was only twelve when I wanted to dye my hair and get the tattoo. I realized that there were not very many kids dying their hair at twelve or getting tattoos but was the harm. Dolphins are cute and blonde hair was pretty. My mom wanted me to be unique and so I thought she might go for it. As free spirited as my mom was in naming me Tallahassee, she was very conservative when it came to discipline. Now that I am a parent myself I would have said the same to my daughter if she had asked me for a tattoo or dyed hair. I now realize even as a young child I wanted to live near the ocean and that is why I wanted the dolphin tattoo. Once again it took 38 years for me to realize how much I wanted to live near an ocean.