[Cube TX]

I was in Las Vegas in 2003 and put my hand down on a bed that someone else had placed a plugged in iron on. The iron fell over and landed on my left hand. I think the entire MGM Grand Hotel & Casino could hear my yell. It probably didn't touch the area of my hand between my thumb and finger for more than a second, but I still remember the pain. There is no way I would ever want to get branded unless I was transformed into a bull or something.

Lots of my Lambda Chi brothers got tattoos while we were active... some had tattoos before entering the fraternity, but it wasn't my thing. My younger brother has several tattoos, but he's also an MMA fighter so he's into self-abuse. Since I was always an accident prone kid and was in several car accidents as an adult I have enough pains and scars to want to put more on myself.

I haven't seen my fraternity little brother, Jimmy, in a few years since he moved back to California. I wonder what he ever did with that shapeless blob on his arm that used to be the letters when he first branded it.