A Lady in Defiance
Dec 6, 20102 min
There has always been a story that circulates within my family about where
my grandfather got all of his tattoos. I once asked him as a child where
he got them and he looked at me and said “During a bad time in my life” and
that was all. I later found out that he had been in jail for two years
during the 50s (1956-1958). At 16 he broke into a local liquor store with
a couple of friends and the cops were called. He friends got away but he
was left behind and arrested. He was charged with felony breaking and
entering and sentenced to two years in jail. To this day he does not know
I have been told this story, at 20 years old he still believes I am in the
dark about where he got his famous tattoos, which consist of a naked woman
(which I thought was a duck when I was a child), a cross in honor of his
sister, a tulip in honor of his mom, and a heart with his ex-girlfriends
name in it (which is the same name as one of his sisters, so he likes to
claim that is who he got it in honor of). I was only told this story after
he tried to purchase a gun about 6 years ago and was denied because he has
a felony on his record. My grandmother informed me of the story and told
me to never let him on to the fact that I know. Everyone in the family
jokes about their rebel brother, cousin, uncle, etc… But I am never
allowed to joke about my rebel grandfather.
Jamie Byrd
#Folklore #myths #UNCChapelHill #anecdotes #ncfolklore #legends #families #familyhistory