Sunday, June 1, 2014

Empathy Failure

We were driving to church this morning when Belladonna shared that she was letting four (of fourteen) of the piercings in her ears close up.  She knows that I am not a fan of piercings and the news would make me happy.

In typical dad fashion I commented, "Well, that is a good start."

She commented that I knew nothing about piercings and wondered why I was so dead-set against them.

I replied that farm animals wear tags in their ears (or have their ears notched) so they others can figure out who owns them.  I said that I consider body piercings to be the same as bound feet, high-heel shoes or any other form of chattel connoting mutilation.

For reasons that escape me, Belladonna did not hear that well.

She told me that it did not matter what I thought.  It was HER body.

I replied that while she might want to think that, I would be sent to jail if her body did not receive suitable nurishment, clothing, warmth or medical care.  I also thought that she could test her hypothesis by cutting her wrists in a public place and see if the police allowed her to bleed to death...but a faint germ of tact stayed my tongue.

She was very angry.  She did not want to hear any opinions other than her own.

I should have just commended her on letting the four holes close up.  She as asking for approval, not an opinion or a history lesson.  Guys (like me) can be dolts.

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