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.