Body Art and Assumptions
I am a woman who has a lot of tattoos, but most people have a hard time believing it. Even when they spy one on my back, peeking out from under my shirt, or I roll one of my sleeves up, they will say “I never imagined you would be the kind of person to have tattoos.”
I always ask them why. I can tell they’re not used to being asked, even though they have posited the question in the first place. I could say I ask because I’m autistic and that’s how we all roll. That would be partly true, but mostly I do it because it makes them uncomfortable, and I enjoy watching them work hard to come up with an answer.
The answers are always quite surprising:
You seem too serious to have tattoos — Well, I’m not. You’re just picking up on all of my festering rage and anger.
You seem too quiet to have tattoos — I’m really not quiet at all. I just don’t want to talk to you specifically.
You seem too nice to have tattoos — I’m actually an incredible bitch. I just hide it well.
You seem too clean and neat to have tattoos — I do try to bathe regularly. Thanks for noticing.
You seem too normal to have tattoos — Oh boy. If you spend more time with me, you’re going to find out this is so not true.
You seem too sober to have tattoos — Never quite sure what to say to this one. Sometimes I am, but sometimes I’m not.
You seem too smart to have tattoos — I am. I am the smartest person on earth. You should feel so lucky just speaking to me.
I try to never take it too personally. I’d like to think that it’s meant in an innocent way. They’re just surprised that I have so much body art. I also think that a lot of people have old-fashioned and preconceived notions about the kind of people who have body art and body modifications. I guess no one’s told them that there’s no one kind of person. There never was.
I do still enjoy how shocked some people are when they see mine. That will never get old.
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