Things that I really hate hearing from people. You would think that they would think before they spoke but that's a lot to ask sometimes.
At A Glance Author molebiol Contact [email protected] IAM molebiol When N/A You got tattooed to elicit a reaction from people or you should have known that it would elicit reactions and behaviors in people �
1) I could find cheaper and less painful ways to get a rise out of people than tattooing. I could dress like shit and wear really gaudy makeup if I wanted attention.
2) I wear long sleeves year round to cover my arms so I can go to the supermarket without being hassled, so I can get gas and not spend an extra 10 minutes discussing my tattoos with the cashier, so I don't have some nosy bastard pulling at my clothing while I wait in line at a club so he can see my tattoos without asking first. If I wanted to be an exhibitionist, which is what people assume when you get tattooed, I would be traipsing around in a tank-top or a t-shirt whenever possible. Personally it's really NOT comfortable wearing long sleeves and jeans when it's 95 degrees outside.
3) My reasons for getting tattooed do NOT factor in other people's wishes or wants. I personally think it's egotistical and immensely idiotic for people to think that I get tattooed solely for the purpose of soothing or irking the egos of people I don't even give a damn about. What astounds me is that people actually assume that my actions are solely influenced by factors external (ie � the public at large) to my desires and that I actually have no autonomy in my decision making process.
4) Having tattoos does NOT make you public property. Much as people like saying that it's your body and you're free to do what you want with it, why is that the concept of personal space goes out the door and a complete stranger feels like they have the right to fondle your arm as if your tattoo feels any different from regular skin? Would YOU appreciate it if someone came up to you and demanded that you strip because they wanted to see your birthmark? Sorry but NO means NO. My work is shown to people who might remotely appreciate it as nice artwork. I am NOT property or a tattooed pet that will dance on command. I am simply another person with the same rights and desires as the rest of society. Is that so difficult to understand?
5) Yes, I recently had a more visible part of my body tattooed. Again, I did NOT do it because I'm an attention whore. What people don't understand when you are working on a bodysuit and want to collect pieces from a number of different artists is that space is VERY limited and you get tattooed wherever you can. I also get tattooed because I want to get tattooed and because I feel that an area needs to be tattooed. I could have gotten my face tattooed with "Fuck the world" before anything else if I was so desperate to be the center of attention. Yes, having more visible areas tattooed is considered more in your face, but to me it's simply another step in my progression. To me, it signifies that I am more comfortable in my own skin and with who I am.
6) I really really really, absolutely love the lack of respect I get as a result of looking the way I do. I like being treated like a moron. I like having to justify being myself to someone every single day. I like having my sanity questioned. I used to be on the other side of the fence and I must say, having my eyes opened to how ridiculous people are makes me realize that the grass really isn't greener on their side of the fence. Ignorance isn't really bliss. It's a pain in my ass.
You must like pain or you must have issues:
1) In fact, I really do NOT like pain. Let's put it in perspective. If I liked pain, maybe I'd enjoy menstrual cramps a lot more than I actually do. If I liked pain I think I would have opted out of being shot up on Demerol when I was in the hospital vomiting for 8 hours from a kidney stone.
2) Pain is weakness leaving the body. Irrational fear of pain limits people in numerous and almost irrational ways. Pain can be overcome. Pain is part and parcel of change. I accept the discomfort because I have a goal that means more to me than my fear of pain. I know my limits more than most people and while defining those boundaries, learned more about what makes me tick.
3) Yes, I have issues. Who doesn't have issues? I would have to say that learning to define my desires via body modification have made me confront my issues more than people who choose to escape theirs via excessive drinking, working, smoking, doing drugs, etc. What seems quite ironic is that people like to displace those issues and dump it on someone who doesn't look quite as "normal" as the next person. Hey, I don't mind wearing my heart and my pain on my skin. I choose not to discuss the reasons for getting tattooed with the average person because I know that most people will be uncomfortable with the information and because I don't feel that the average person who makes such dimwitted statements offhand deserves to know anything about me. You reap what you sow and if what you sow is sneering derision or close-mindedness, I have nothing to discuss with that person.How much did that cost? Gee, I could have bought myself (insert noun) with that much money.
1) Yes, money is necessary to pay for the tattoos. If you want good work, you have to be willing to pay the price. Being stingy on the price of the tattoo (if you don't have a good hookup from your local tattoo artist) leaves you in a less than enviable position of having a less than optimal tattoo.
2) Money is secondary to the artwork. Yes, scraping together the money to get tattooed by someone can be arduous and frustrating, but the end result is worth more than any dollar amount.
3) Assuming I live until 75 years of age, the amount of money for my tattoos will average out to a few dollars a day.
4) The tattoos are permanent. I carry them with me wherever I go and they will be with me when I die. They are a reminder of who I was, who I am, who I will be.
5) Everyone has a hobby or something that they spend money on.
6) Who cares what some jackass could have bought for the amount of money I've spent on my tattoos. I don't judge someone for the money they spent on their car or their clothing or their house because I actually make an effort to respect that person's choice. Everything has a price.