This is my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post hosted by all.things.fadra. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…
• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
Five minutes. Got it. Ready, set, go.
So, I'm pretty excited about today. I'm getting my arm tattooed by an artist I've been wanting to work on me for a long time. But he's usually booked up months at a time. But a couple of weeks ago, I checked and he had today available. And of course, I snagged that appointment slot. Booyah! I already have a big day of the dead skull on my arm, with flowers. I know I want more flowers on it, but honestly I'll take his advice and opinion and go from there.
Unless you have visible tattoos (and I don't mean that little kanji on your ankle), you don't realize how flippin weird some people are about tattoos. I have a number of them, I'd say I'm moderately tattooed? And I have a number of piercings. Nose, two barbells in my tongue, and about a million in my ears in all the weird places (not just the lobes).
What is it about modifications that make people act so damn weird? I've had strangers come up and without even saying a word to me, start rubbing my tattooed arm. And when I look at them with a "what the hell are you doing" look on my face, they tell me "Oh, I just wanted to see what your tattoo felt like." I mean, excuse me? How did a tattoo magically make you forget socially accepted "personal space"? I mean, if you're wearing a faux fur vest or something, you don't see me walking up and "petting" you.
A few years ago, I took my oldest daughter to a new doctor for a check up. I don't know what nationality/religion he was, or if that even pertains to the story, but I know he was Middle Eastern. But he looks at my tattoo, and asks "Why don't you believe in God?" So because I have a skull on my arm, I now have "I hate God" stamped on my forehead? My husband works at a church, and while a t-shirt covers up most of my tattoo, you can still see part of it, and I've never had anyone at church give me a hard time about it. So now I need to explain myself to a pediatrician, who should be checking out my daughter's allergies instead of lecturing me about my religious preferences? Oh, and the conversation ended with him telling me that worshipping the devil isn't a good idea. WTH, dude? And yeah, we don't go there anymore.
Hubby says that even though tattoos are becoming more mainstream and socially accepted (and heck, even Animal Planet had a commercial with a heavily tattooed guy holding a frou-frou dog), choosing to put something like that on display is asking to be judged. But, if I'm not going to walk up to you and ask why you're wearing mom jeans, or rockin' a comb over, I feel like that should be a two way street.
I mean, most people, if they say anything, it's just "Oh, I love your tattoo!". That's cool, and I appreciate it.
Hubby says that even though tattoos are becoming more mainstream and socially accepted (and heck, even Animal Planet had a commercial with a heavily tattooed guy holding a frou-frou dog), choosing to put something like that on display is asking to be judged. But, if I'm not going to walk up to you and ask why you're wearing mom jeans, or rockin' a comb over, I feel like that should be a two way street.
I mean, most people, if they say anything, it's just "Oh, I love your tattoo!". That's cool, and I appreciate it.
But, the strangers who walk up, and say with an accusatory tone, stupid stuff like "Why would you do that to yourself?" How am I supposed to answer that? Or for that matter, since when was I required to explain myself to a perfect stranger? Want to ask me if it hurt? That's cool. You want to ask me if it means anything? Go right ahead, I love talking about myself :)
But there is a HUGE difference between asking questions and confronting a stranger about their personal choices.
But there is a HUGE difference between asking questions and confronting a stranger about their personal choices.
So why would I do that to myself? I did it because I'm awesome and I felt like it, that's why. :)
11 people love me:
You had me cracking up at mom jeans and comb-over! haha Seriously though, Good for you! Strangers in general stop me all the time because my daughter has red hair. Most of the time they say sweet stuff, but I can't tell you how many opinionated old ladies have said something along the lines of "Don't worry, hon, I'm sure it'll change color as she gets older." Seriously? WTF? I wasn't "worried" about it, but hey, thanks for the input!
I think before people would stare more in repugnance but now that we are so freely okay with voicing our opinions and giving out our input via all of the technology stuff, people feel okay with saying whatever, whenever.
But I'd love to see you rock the boat and come back with your question about the comb-over!
Glad that you got your appt. with your favorite tattoo artist!
I have a tattoo on my back (not a "tramp stamp") that I got in college on a whim that I HATE. People should never get tattoos without thinking long and hard about whether it's going to be a significant symbol for them in a few years. At some point I'm going to have the thing blasted off.
I've thought about getting a new tattoo, though. I'd want it to be somewhere I could easily see but that could be covered when I need to be kind of conservative.
@I'm Tiffany.
I used to work in a tattoo shop as a body piercer, and you'd see that all the time! People come in and ask what tattoo is the cheapest, or where is it going to hurt the least. Meaning, they don't care what they get, they just want something.
And I admit, I have a couple of tattoos that don't mean anything except I was bored and had money burning a hole in my pocket. And then I have lots that mean something.
I got the day of the dead skull because I find cultures respect for the dead to be fascinating. I'm half Korean, and they celebrate the dead too. Things like having a family gathering on the anniversary of the persons death. All of that's person's favorite foods are prepared, and served to the person's photo, and then you leave the room for a few moments so their spirit can "eat". Then you come back and eat with your family. Pretty cool stuff.
I get what you're saying. People feel like they have the right to comment on my family size constantly. Or to judge us because of how many kids we have. Sure, I get that people are going to stare - - not that we have an obscene amount but it is a lot but popular standards - but just keep your thoughts to yourself. One guy actually followed me around Walmart making comments until I told him to just shut the hell up and go away. I was a shining example for my kids LOL I think it's natural to check out people with piercings or tattoos or hairstyles that are not, uh..normal? That's not the word but my brain is broken from all these damned kids.
Just as creepy as walking up to a pregnant woman and rubbing her belly. " Um, hi. If this baybay weren't in ma belly you wouldn't be touching me, so step off, idiot! "
I get that it looks pretty but no touchy touchy! Can I go up to some dude at the beach and say, " You have an exceptionally nice looking package under that speedo and I would like to rub up on it now. "
I've learned that this behavior inevitably gets me arrested almost every time.
Always said I was going to get a tattoo...never have. Now I'm 36 and think it's too late to get the first one. But I don't stop thinking about it!
@Mommy This and That
Well, I'm bummed. The tattoo artist was sick today. :(
And it's never too late to get one. My grandmother didn't get her first one until she was 71.
I am always fascinated by the human instinct to assume you are invited to comment on and/or judge someone else's choices. Do they really not imagine that anyone might turn around and judge something *they* felt was perfectly defensible??
Pffffft. If your tats are awesome, they're awesome. Why do we have to talk about it??
Sorry to hear your artist was sick today..
My personal favorite question from complete strangers about my tatoos is "Did you ever think about what that will look like when you are 80 and wrinkly?" Why no, not once during the several hours of being tattooed did I ever consider that idiot!!! Hmm, maybe that's why I thought very long and hard and waited five years between my impulse tattoos at 18 & 20 till I got my others..
I've actually had someone try to reach up and touch my lip piercing before.
I am so not a tattoo person. Sometimes it looks okay on other people. Sometimes it doesn't. But asking a question like that is like asking a fat person at a donut shop why they would keep eating donuts. Umm, hello. BECAUSE THEY TASTE SO DARN GOOD.
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