My Dad's Rules From Back In The Day

If this T-shirt had been around when I was of dating age....My dad would have owned one.  He pretty much followed these 10 rules and added several more to his rule book.  I grew up dating back in the day when long hair was the fad.  I remember one night my father closing the door in a potential dates face because his hair was below his collar.  I was mortified.  My dad...well his rule number 11 would have been 11.  Don't show up with hair below your collar.  My very first date came to my grandmother's house to get me. I was 15.   My father was cleaning his gun because he was going hunting early the nex morning.  My date did not know this....all he knew was that my dad was pointing the barrell of the gun towards him as he cleaned it.  Rule number 12.  I own guns, am not afraid of them, can use them, and I will take you out.  If you dated me....you had to come in and meet my parents before said date.  There was to be no horn blowing from the driveway summoning me out to your car.  You WERE going to shake my father's hand (tightly).  When my parents gave me a curfew...said curfew was for me to be IN the house....not just pulling in the drive.  Once I pulled into the drive....I had three minutes.....after the third minute....the porch light would flip on and off twice signaling...."walk up the driveway....NOW!"  If I did not walk up the driveway....the porch light would short out.  My mom would begin to flip it like a strobe light.  That meant...."when the strobe show ends I am coming out and marching you up the driveway.....I promise you don't wat that to happen."  Only once did I see that event occur and it wasn't even me. My cousins were down for a visit and one of them tried my mom out.  My mom won.  I never pushed that button.  My parents were awake when I got home....and sitting in the livintg room.  If my dad had to work the next day my mom was up....and my dad would speak out from their bedroom...."Is she home?"  I hated being a dating teenager back then.  I felt my parents stifled me.  My friends parents did not do these things to them.  Why was I being persecuted.  Fast forward 20 years....and my daughter had her first date....and when I looked in the mirror....there were my parents standing there.  I cannot believe they survived dating.  I cannot believe that Brian came back for a second date....(and I loved him).  So Daters....this too will pass.  You will survive dating....I promise....I did.  Be grateful you have parents who care enough to want to know what you are doing.  It can be an ugly world out there.