9/9/09 0 interactions, Thank you and thoughts on winding down

I really appreciate everyone who's followed this and offered encouragement. Thank you. I'd originally said I'd keep this project going as long as the weather allowed, but I realized with the semester amping up, and a few new committments, I probably won't have much more time to devote to it. So I think I'll wrap it up for now. There will be more to follow; I'm just not entirely sure what.

9/8/09 4 interactions

"That's a really neat tattoo." Caucasian female bank teller, early/mid 20's, downtown, pointing to scarification.
"Thank you."*
"How did you do it? White ink?"
"Yep, and it seems to be holding up pretty well."
"Is it new?"
"No, I've had it for several years."
(she then informs me the bank manager is busy, finishes what she can of my transaction, then encourages me to apply for a different credit card).

I actually started this next exchange by smiling and saying hello to a young woman (African-american, late teens) waiting at a bus stop downtown, who I mistook for a former co-worker (who changes her hairstyle more often then I do) because she was looking at me.
"Oh my god, Wow! Is that real?!" (motioning to tattoo)
"Yes."
"Wow! It's so bright!" She rushes over, grabs my arm and twists it. I hang on to the half-eaten apple I'm holding, with difficulty. She murmers exclamations and asks who did it, did it hurt, etc. and her friend (African-american male, late teens) joins her.
"Damn, I thought that was a real tattoo."
(female) "It IS real!"
"Really, wow! I thought it was like a shirt or something when you was walkin' by! Who did it?"(he then proceeds to ask me the same questions). Another man (Caucasian, 40's?) walks by.
"Hey, is that real?"
(Three of us in unison) "Yes!"**
(Caucasian male walking away) I've got a friend who can do that. He learned it in prison!
(Me) Everyone needs a hobby!
(The three of us laugh)
(African-american male) "Damn, that's something! I ain't never seen anything like that."
"Well, anything's possible, and you're still pretty young."
"I gotta get to California."
"I hope you do, I think you'd like it. I gotta get going, you guys have a good night."

*Usually if people assume the scarification is a tattoo, I let them becuase it's much, much, easier than explaining the difference, especially if I don't have time (or I'm trying to be responsible and make a deposit and cancel a credit card.)

**Seriously, I swear to god this actually happened.

9/7/09 1 interaction

*muffled words and gestures.*

(Removing earbuds) "Excuse me?"

"Wow girl, that's some sweet ink!" Caucasian male, early 20's, Red Line El platform.

"Oh, thank you."

"Yeah, I just started outlining my ribs yesterday. It's going allll the way down the side." (makes sweeping motion along torso) I've got one more sitting for the outline, then I'm filling it in."

"What re you getting? Something tribal?"

"Oh no, It's Pink Floyd's The Wall logo."

"Reeealy?" (trying not to laugh)

"Yeah! But I'm getting all the bricks in the background too!" (leaves to board train on opposite platform) "But yeah! rock that ink!"

"Thanks man, you too!"

9/6/09 4 interactions

"Mornin.'" Caucasian male, 60's? walking dog near my house.

"Mornin,'" (smiling at man and dog.)

"Nice tattoo."

"Thank you."

It was chilly out, so I wore a sweatshirt for the rest of the day. The following interaction I'd initially considered to be one of the dumbest and most confusing questions ever, but the interaction later in the day actually clarified what the inquiry may have referred to.

"Excuse me, miss, your ears--did they have to start out smaller to get to that size?" African-american male, 20's?, library elevator.*

"Excuse me? I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking."

"Did your ears have to start out smaller before they got that big?"

"Yes." I exited the elevator thinking "What the hell? Of course they had to start small. Doesn't everything that gets bigger have to first be smaller? That's like, Sesame Street 101..."

"Did you have to stretch your ears to get them that big, or did you pierce them that size?" Asian female, late teens/early 20's, video store (friend of clerk from 8/9 post)

"Oh no, I stretched them out from a regular earring," (thinking "Oh shit! That must've been what that guy earlier was trying to ask!")

"Did it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt if you stretch slowly and gently."

"How long did it take?" Hispanic female, 20s? 30s? customer joining in conversation.

"About five years to get to this size."

"Wow...to each their own. (to clerk) Hey, do you have this in?"

"Thanks again guys, have a good night."

*A few posts ago, I offhandedly commented that nobody asks me about my ears when I wear long sleeves. Since that post, it's happened five times.

9/5/09 3 interactions

(All taking place in the same coffee shop within an hour)

"Wow, that's beautiful! Can I see the rest of it?" Caucasian male barrista, 20's (pointing to sleeve)

"Ok" (roll up sleeve)

"Oh my god, it's Sandman!"

"Yeah! From Issue 50!"

"That's incredible!"

"Thanks! I had a bunch of jeweled microdermals implanted in it, but I removed them a few months ago*"

"Well, it's still beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Wow, can I get a better look at your arm?" Middle Eastern Man, 30's. (interrupting my work)

"Yeah, ok." (roll up sleeve)

"How long did that take?"

"Several years off and on, but most of it was done in a year and half."

"Did it hurt?"

"Parts of it. The wrist, inner and outer elbow hurt most."

"Well it's unbelievable."

"Thank you. I'm very proud of it. You have a nice day." (return to what I was working on.)

"Can I see your arm?" Caucasian female, 50's. (interrupting my work)

"Ok."

"How long did that take?"

(see answer above)

"Did it hurt?"

(see answer above)

"Wow, I've always wanted a tattoo, but I don't think I could. I've always been curious about what it takes to get to that point." (motioning to sleeve).

"It's a journey." (laugh) "You have a nice day now" (return to work)

*A few people have asked why I took the derms out (see picture). The ones I installed for eyes never fully healed, and I suspect it was because they were set too close together (2mm jewelry 2mm apart). The other four I removed because they'd occasionally get 'weepy', and honestly, I was tired of just having to be so careful and protective of my arm all the time. Only after I removed them did I realize how much I favored it. In retrospect, I'm glad I took them out; I honestly don't think I'd have the patience to handle the attention they generate. I may get them installed again, but after I leave Chicago.

9/4/09 0 interactions

9/3/09-2 interactions

"Hey--wow--can I see your tattoo?" African-american male, 30's vestibule of public library, who very kindly held the door for me.
"Ok," (roll up sleeve--this is the first day since I've been back from SF that's been warm enough to just wear a a t-shirt)
"Wow...what's that?" (points to figure on upper arm)
"It's from a comic book."
"Which one? Who is it?"
"Morpheus from Sandman."
"Oh. Morpheus. Like the guy in the Matrix?"
"Not quite. Same name, similar archetype..."(proceed to explain difference between two Morpheuses).
"Wow, that's really neat." (leans in to examine closely, almost touching, but not quite.) "I wanna get something like that--hey, can I take your picture?"
"I'd actually prefer if you didn't. I hope you understand."
"Oh. ok." (slightly dejected.)
"Why not? Why won't you let him take your picture?!" Middle eastern man, 40's walking by and overhearing.
"Because this is very personal to me, and I wouldn't feel comfortable if he did."
(Middle eastern man) "Who did that?"
"A friend of mine did most of it."
(African-ameircan man) "How much did it cost?"
"Since my friend did it, it was free, but it would've been several thousand dollars."
(Middle eastern man, walking around the other man to get a view of my other side) "What'd you say? Fifteen thousand dollars?"
"Several thousand."
(African-american man) "I really wanna get something like that. Some tropical colors, like."
(Middle eastern man) "It wouldn't work for you; you're too dark." (exits library)
African-american man. "Can I ask you one more question?"
"Ok, but then I have a few more errands to run."
"What're those things in the circles?" (touching my arm to point to one)
"Those're hobo symbols."
"What?"
(Proceed to explain meaning of hobo code)
"So are any of them bad?"
"No. They're all good signs. It doesn't make sense to me to mark a body with anything bad; it'll stay with you forever."
"Right on--that's art!" (walks away).


The whole thing was pretty intense...
Yeah. So I'm bundled up to the eyes half the year, interrogated and chastized for not letting strangers take my picture the other half. If I wasn't loving school and some of the people I've met out here, and my rent wasn't so cheap this would probably be the point where I said "Fuck it" and started packing my hobo ass.

9/2/09-2 interactions

"Are those jade?" Caucasian female, early 20's, beside me in health food store, referring to ear plugs.
"No, I don't know what they are. They're probably plastic for what I paid for them."
"How big are they?"
"Three-quarters."
"Oh, mine are an inch and a half." (pulls back knit cap to reveal stretched lobes) "I'm not wearing jewelry because I'm trying to shrink them to look for a job."
"Well, good luck finding a job, but honestly they might not shrink that much from an inch and a half."
"Yeah, I know, but I gotta try."
"I understand, good luck."


"What size are your ears?" Caucasian female, late teens, elevator at work.
"3/4"
"Really cool, I like your plugs."
"Thanks."

8/31/09-9/1/09 0 interactions--covered all day