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04/29/2004 Entry: "Judging a Goth by her cover" Some people write me and say I am not punk or goth, and I don't know what to say. I first think of saying, "Screw you, poser!" but then I remember that arguing with preteens is pointless because when you win the argument, they won't know. I also think that debating whether I am goth or punk is pretentious at best, like I have to model myself after some standards. Not enough Bauhaus? What shade of Manic Panic should my highlights be? Feh. Anyway, God (or whatever) has designated that she must always teach me a lesson, and recently, I was given the smackdown of what goth might be, and what form it may take. Thus enters Jackie. Jackie comes from a small town. She's a homemaker, mother of 2. She dresses in fashionable and trendy clothing, model skinny, and a very bright, cheerful person whom I have determined is far more adult than I'll ever be. She'd be a perfect Girl Scout leader and den mother. Sometimes she comes off as a bit ditzy, with her wide eyes and enthusiastic nods when she speaks. She used to have dark curly hair, but she recently straightened it and turned it blond. But it's all an act. Recently, she came by to explain she was going to see her favorite band, "A Perfect Circle." I had never heard of it, and assumed it was some semi-Christian, wholesome country group. No. Not quite. For beneath the JC Penny white bread exterior of this country girl beats the heart of a goth. But beats so quietly, I never picked up on it. How many goths come from a small town in West Virginia? Not many. How she became goth is a subject brought up by her best friend growing up. "Well, she used to really be into heavy metal, so I guess this is what she's evolved to. She's not what she seems. It's all an act. Deep down, she has a huge dark side..." I learned two things: One, I totally misread her based on stereotypes and I should have known better, and two, A Perfect Circle is a pretty good band.