Church of Body Modification

It amuses me somtimes, the way people percieve me.  I'm visibly tattooed (quite a bit), and I have VERY obvious piercings all over.  Although folks don't often say it out loud, I hear, though channels, what they think, that I'm some kind of outlaw, out of control, with no self respect, etc.  Then, after talking to me, they find out that I'm a respected software engineer, a proud father, and professional editor, college educated, well read, well spoken, etc.  There are more shocked at the “positive” aspects of who I am than they are at their own deluded impression.  I delight in proving them WRONG…in a gentle manner, of course.

David/Midian2000

RussFoxx said:

anytime I entered a bank or any other professional establishment I was always treated with as much respect and consideration as anyone else.

I still don't get treated like that.

As a school teacher I run into this mentality quite a bit. The problem is that no parent wants to admit it's their child. I agree the comment about spike hair, tattoos is inappropriate, but I've heard other references as well. The problem I see in America, in regard to children, is that we're not teaching accountabiilty, compassion, and a great many other skills that they need to cope with the real world. They want quick fixes because we live in a fast food environment where you can have it your way. We haven't taught them to be kind to all, in fact we're very good at teaching prejudice.

Of course, there are real mix ups that occur with medication. I think about the recent death of actor Heath Ledger. It was a mix of medications that he was told would mix alright. It happens more then we care to admit in America because we seem to have this idea that no faults should ever be admitted that we've conned ourself in to believing no one ever makes mistakes. Just recently my own daughter, two months old, was prescribed another drug for her thrush infection. I got the medication home without paying it any attention because “I trusted my pharmacist” only to start to draw the dose and realize the wrong name was on the bottle. It was her first name but not her last. Of course I took it back and got the right one, but mistakes occur. I suppose stories like the one shared are a reminder that we must be ever vigilent.

Going back to parenting, the best thing we can do in a situation like this one is learn. We can learn that we need to watch our teen, listen, and be consistant. I don't care if a kid is heavily modified or not, if he suddenly has a drastic change in personality there very well may be something wrong. If a child suddenly becomes withdrawn, it's always better to make sure everything is ok then end up loosing a child because we the parent didn't want to intervene. That's my humble opinion at least.

KennyG138 said:

 the best thing to do is rise above the ignorance and show people that dispite you may look different or strange, you can still be an amazing and respectable person

that's pretty much what I had to learn the hard way. I went to a catholic grammar and high school, and eventually realized that no matter what, you're going to be judged. I rememeber one kid telling me i must be uneducated and i had no place in his school…once i got high honors a couple times school life got a lot better.
It is undeniable that there are people who fit into the stereotype perfectly. usually these are the people who try hardest to make my accquaintance. I just tell them to grow up and not try to follow a style…that i am the way i am because it makes me happiest. I don't want to know people who look like me, i want people who think like me.