Title: Finding a Place in my Mind
Arthor: Emily
Contact: [email protected]
One of the biggest taboos, I think, that can be found in society, anywhere in the world is the taboo of being out of the norm. To exercise your right to be an individual. However, I am American, and I come from a society that promotes individualism (reaching your goals) opposed to collectivism (reaching the goals of a group, mainly your family).
Basically to explain that more indepthly, collectivism, like that of some Asian cultures, promote thinking of how your actions affect your family, how you can help those people in the family, to work as a unit mainly. To someone, like me, who comes from an individualism background, it sounds absurd to function like that, but when that’s all you’ve known, you can’t argue with it. How can you try to think like a duck when you’ve never been one? Anyway back to the topic at hand…
Body modifications are like choosing to make yourself “deformed,” to become an oddity of sorts. Though, some people take it farther than most (i.e. tattooing their face or whole body, or even cutting off limbs, etc.). Just think about it, what do we think when we see people in wheelchairs or have a missing leg or arm or any limb for that matter, what do we think when we see deformed people, or mentally handicapped? Even though we may not say anything, you think, or feel even, that these people are different from yourself and your friends/family and that you can’t relate and/or associate with them. I’m not saying this happens to everyone or every time you see someone out of the “norm” of things that weren’t self inflicted. From this stems bias towards people who do self inflicted alterations.
I’m sure most people know about Side Shows…this was idolizing our very own natural (and faked) deformities, which included nearly always, some sort of tattooed lady/man. Yet still, body mods are still one of those things that gets stares and oh’s and ah’s in public if not negative comments and hatred for attempting to be one’s self. Will body mods ever become socially acceptable? Even I have faced conflict when it has come to my few piercings. I’ve had relatives, those people who should accept and love you for whatever you are, tell me their great disapproval of me getting my TONGUE pierced. They treated the matter like I was saying I was coming out of the closet or something (no offense to homosexuals). Not only is it MY body, not only can you NOT really see it, but why do they care so much what I do with MY body? Am I to tell an over weight person they have no right to be “fat”, they have no right to eat foods high in fat, to have health problems, and not be who they are? If an over weight person has the courage to lose weight, well bravo good for them, if anyone has the courage to be who they are, to get pierced or not get pierced out of their own desires and wishes then bravo to them too! (no offense to over weight people, merely an example)
In my own mind, I know who I am, and I try to live up to my own expectations, my own desires. I believe everyone should. I’ve found a place of acceptance in my self, through my piercings, my experiences, my friends, my found happiness…The Body Mod community offers such wide acceptance to everyone, even those who aren’t modified. It’s amazing how the “outsiders” accept a extensive circle of different people, and how the controlling few can’t see these wonderful people as human, just as they are.
Always remember to love yourself, accept yourself, and you’ll see how well people will accept you too. Don't spread hate…act passively to all bias reactions to whatever body mods or extreme ideas you may have or express, most of all be true to yourself…always…
Self Piercing Stories: Studs From Hell and Beautiful Eyebrow
