Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
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120 The <strong>Tattoo</strong> Relationship<br />
he could get on <strong>the</strong> side. I had two people working on me. (The<br />
tattooist) did <strong>the</strong> outline and <strong>the</strong>n started coloring. <strong>My</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
leg was shaking a little. It wasn't because it was hurting as<br />
much as I was nervous, like I said.. , . It was weird. I expected<br />
needles in and out and it was like a stinging. On <strong>the</strong> outline he<br />
was pulling it around so that it was going deep enough. At<br />
first, I was like grinding my teeth and holding my arms up and<br />
catching my side. But after a couple of minutes I calmed down<br />
and just let him finish up.... I was kind of surprised. You<br />
know, before you go in people tell you-just to scare you a<br />
little-that it's not going to be an easy ride. There were a<br />
couple of kids in <strong>the</strong>re that were going after me and when I<br />
went in <strong>the</strong>y were all saying, "Good luck," like I was going<br />
to <strong>the</strong> torture chamber. When I came out <strong>the</strong>y said, "Did it<br />
hurt? Did it hurt?" I tried to calm <strong>the</strong>m down and tell <strong>the</strong>m it<br />
wasn't really that bad so <strong>the</strong>y wouldn't be so paranoid about it.<br />
As indicated by this respondent, information provided by one's<br />
everyday associates usually increases <strong>the</strong> novice tattooee's anxiety<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than reducing it. The most effective means by which recipients<br />
eased <strong>the</strong>ir nervousness were talking with <strong>the</strong> tattooist and<br />
watching while o<strong>the</strong>r clients were serViced.<br />
I wouldn't have been as nervous if I had been more familiar<br />
with <strong>the</strong> situation. It was my first time in a tattoo parlor and I<br />
figured I had better get it done now because I was pretty busy<br />
and I didn't know when I would get back. I wasn't familiar with<br />
what was going on-<strong>the</strong> noise, <strong>the</strong> sound of what was going<br />
on. I wasn't nervous because, "Oh, my god, I'm getting a<br />
tattoo." It was just that I wished I knew more about <strong>the</strong><br />
procedure.... I remember feeling foreign because I was<br />
unfamiliar with <strong>the</strong> situation ... not because I was a woman.<br />
(The tattooist) was pretty nice. We had a beer before I deCided<br />
to get it. I asked questions as we went along. I asked him how<br />
long it would take. I said, ''I'm not going to ask you if it hurts:'<br />
I just didn't want to be that much of a fool. I figured it was<br />
going to hurt. I asked him if it hurt could I tell him and would<br />
he stop. He said, "Yes:' But it never arose that I needed to say<br />
stop. I asked thing like, "What are you going to do now?" ''I'm
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