1. Owning a pair of Converse, but not being allowed to write ~emotional~ lyrics on them.
2. Having trouble convincing your friends and family that screaming in songs isn't scary at all.
3. Trying to explain to your parents why a subscription to Kerrang! or AP was so important.
4. And then without the magazines, you weren't able to create the collage of your dreams.
5. Trying to explain the appeal of boys in tight pants to anyone who didn't understand.
6. Signing onto AIM just to put up an away message with lyrics.
7. Attempting to assure your parents the lyrics you loved weren't going to damage you for life.
8. Being told by your parents that you're not allowed to dress like a true emo kid.
9. Having to wait to apply your thick eyeliner until you were out of your parents' sight.
10. How bad your hands smelled after you colored your nails with Sharpies, since you weren't allowed to own black nail polish.
11. Pining over piercings you knew you would never be allowed to get.
12. Also, lusting after tattoo sleeves.
13. Hating your hair every day because it would never look as amazing as this.
14. Anytime your mom caught you with a Hot Topic bag and made you return whatever you bought.
15. The horrified look on your parents' faces when you showed them photos of the band that you wanted to see.
16. And when they say yes, having inner turmoil about whether to go in the mosh pit or not.
17. Being pretty much the only one at the show without cool piercings, tattoos, or fun hair.
18. Buying a t-shirt from your favorite band, but not being able to wear it because your parents thought it was "too scary."
19. Realizing that your parents would probably never let you date any boy who wore guyliner.
20. Trying to find ways to be rebellious without being too obvious.
21. Relishing any accessory you were allowed to wear that had a skull on it.
22. The incredible struggle of wanting everyone to know that while you weren't sad, you were definitely misunderstood.
And since you never got to fully express yourself growing up...
23. Becoming an adult and still secretly wanting to be an emo kid.
