Blessing or curse? What does Strify think?

You’ve got to admit. When your 13-year-old son grabs a kohl pencil and uses make-up, it’s not unusual for dad to look strangely. That he would get really angry, was something Strify didn’t expect. He remembers: “My dad of course, forbid me to ever use make-up again. When I didn’t listen, we got into a big fight. For 3 month the air between us was thick and we barely spoke to each other. And when he tried to stop me from seeing my friends because he believed they had a ‘bad influence’ on me, it really hurt me.” And Strify needed his friends for support. But not only in the family, also in his circle of friends, there were people who didn’t know what to do with this new style.
“When I wasn’t ‘normal’ anymore, many liked it but I lost a lot of my old friends, too. They talked behind my back a lot. I also felt it was just a game to them. They only met with me to be amused. ‘let’s call Strify, so we have something to laugh about’ that really hurt me a lot.
Still, Strify stayed strong. “Sure, it was hard but looking back, I can say that my style freed me from my role as an outsider. I used to be (eine graue Maus – can I translate that as a wallflower or something???) But as I changed, a lot of people noticed me.”
In the meanwhile, he has contact to the people who used to make fun of him. “They saw their mistakes and they know now that, even though I look different, I’m still the same person inside.” And what about dad? Strify says smiling: “He, also learned to live with it. He knows now that there is nothing wrong with wearing a little make-up and dress myself differently. He finds my friends and the band cool now!”