As I find myself getting older, I find that I have been asking myself that question more and more often lately. What is modification? Does it really fit into the neat and little tidy � not to mention narrow � categories that people usually ascribe such things to? Quite honestly, I don't believe so.
At A Glance Author d'Latta Contact d'[email protected] IAM d'Latta When N/A First of all, everyone's � yes, everyone's � definition of the term is different; no two people can � or should � agree on what constitutes modifying one's self. No one can argue that tattooing, piercing, scarification, and so forth doesn't fall under that category, but again, one person might view tattooing as mutilation, while another person might view that as a decoration, or even a symbolism of sorts. Another person may be comfortable with the idea of some of the more mainstream modifications, but be distressed at the fact that some people find castration and play-piercing valid forms of the art. Neither of them is wrong; it's just two � or more � sides of the same coin, really.
A heavily modified person might look upon someone with few modifications with disdain and contempt � his or her feelings, of course, are valid, but his or her reactions are not. Who's to say what's right for the lesser-modified individual? That's easy to answer � each person has that choice and that right.
Undoubtedly, the lesser-modified person has chosen to be that way for a reason; what is distressing is that people on both sides of the proverbial fence � both the heavily modified and the unmodified � often discount those of us in the middle. We exist in two different worlds; yet truly belong to neither.
So why do lesser-modified people choose to be that way? One reason is rather obvious; perhaps the person is underage and his or her parents will not allow their child to have certain modifications. Whether I agree with this or not isn't the point of this. I simply wanted to point out that it is a possible reason for not being heavily modified.
Another reason is that the person has chosen their modification to have a sense of belonging to their particular social group. Navel piercings, tongue piercings, and lower back tattoos have surged in popularity recently among the younger set.
Also, many people don't have much freedom in their professional lives. They're forced to modify themselves underneath their clothing, so as to not draw attention to themselves. While I agree that this is quite unfortunate, until body modification gains the respect that it deserves as a valid form of self-expression, things will be slow to change. Yet, these people are still judged for what appears to be a lack of modifications. It's certainly something to think about the next time you come across someone who looks like they might belong to the Wall Street crowd.
I've intentionally left my last justification for last, simply because I attach a great deal of personal significance to it. It was the reason that I started writing this. I'm certainly not underage, as I'm well into my 30's. I've never felt any particular affinity to any social group; this sense of disconnectedness stretches back to when I was in middle school, when I was my daughter's age ... and I'm not required to hide my modifications in my professional life, nor would I want to.
In fact, the very idea of being required to hide or otherwise cover up my modifications is repugnant to me. There was a point in my life where I did have to do exactly that; I was miserable and surly for the duration. But ... what do I consider modification? More importantly, why do I engage in it?
The answer to that is both simple and complex. To me, it represents something both aesthetic and spiritual, but not in the traditional meaning of the word. In simpler terms, what it means to me is that body modification � even the small changes that I effect unto myself � is a fusion of beauty and spirit. I feel that modifying myself makes me more beautiful, which, in turn, brings out some of the self-confidence that I sorely lack. When I feel confident, I feel beautiful, both inside and out � and this brings things full circle.
To me, modification represents my desire to show the world that I am beautiful, that I am intelligent, and that I am unique. It is my way of standing out from the herd, and the mentality that often goes along with it. It is my way of demonstrating that I am a real, living person, with dreams, desires, hopes, and aspirations.
In closing, I honestly believe that while body modification is a purely individual choice, it also has a very broad definition � one that quite clearly cannot be categorized, no matter the boundaries that society � or the people that live within it � apply to it.