We don't need your faith -
We've got fucking fate.

I've been around Marilyn Manson's music since about kindergarten or first grade - whenever Owen started listening to him. I always enjoyed it, but never paid much attention since I had my own things going on, like my obsession with The Beatles. Owen used to tell me that Manson liked The Beatles, too, and even told me how "Lamb of God" had a line about John Lennon. I didn't have many friends and spent a large chunk of my time alone exploring the woods just outside of our yard. There was a creek that fell over a large boulder and beside the water was a Charlotte-sized dry spot, almost always with the perfect mix of shade from the leaves and sunshine from the spaces between. I'd make lunch for myself and wander to my spot. Owen would always play his music really loud. Then he'd play along with his snare drum and goat skin drum and high hats [I think he played with wooden spoons for a while], until he got his electric guitar. I know this is something I've written about before, but sitting in the woods listening to my brother chime in with the guitar solo in "Coma White" is something I'll never, ever forget.
In fourth grade, we were told to write a paragraph about someone who inspired us - who we looked up to. For some reason, I chose Marilyn Manson over Ringo Starr. I had my paragraph written and a picture printed out and everything, but my teacher made me do another one because she saw some negative stuff about Manson on the news. In anger and frustration, I wrote about Santa Clause.
I want to say I was in fifth grade when I started stealing Owen's copies of Mechanical Animals and Holy Wood on a regular basis. When he went to work, I'd sneak into his room, pick out a CD, and listen to it until nine o'clock, when it was time to sneak back in and put the CD back in its perfect place, as if nothing had ever been moved. A couple times I would just take the disc and keep it overnight so I could listen to it on the bus the next morning. I'm pretty sure he knew about it all along, even the times when he didn't yell. That's probably why he didn't like me very much.

So. Tonight I'm taking a bus to Ohio. I'll get there tomorrow. And on Saturday I'm going to Pittsburgh with Owen for my first ever Marilyn Manson show, something I've been waiting to attend for a nice chunk of my life. When I get back, I'll probably go talk to my tattoo artist and get a price.
I don't think anyone could possibly fathom how excited I am. 

[HEY EVERYONE: The new Marilyn Manson CD, Born Villain, is bomb-ass. Go get it.]