Inked

Recently I was able to attend "Rick's 13th International Tattoo Convention" at Oneida Casino in Green Bay.  The convention brought tattoo/piercing artists from around the world, including the United States, France, Japan and Australia.  It was a huge melting pot of ink and metal; from tattoos, to piercings to dreadlocks to giant coasters stuffed into earlobes!  I never felt so "normal" in my life!  In fact, it all reminded me of one of those old "B" movies; something like "Tattooed Robo-Zombie Bikers Attack!"  It was quite a compelling crowd, and it almost felt as if I had been transported to another planet.   There was one person in particular who remains burnt into my memory; he was a bigger fella, and if I had to guess, I'd say he was in his late 40's/early 50's.  He was laying on his back, and I could tell he was getting something done to his face.  I noticed his ears were covered in piercings as I moved in for a closer look.  He was the picture of calmness; arms resting neatly across his chest, eyes closed.  As I looked up towards his face, I saw the modus operandi - he was getting his eyebrows pierced.  Barbell after barbell after barbell after barbell were being impaled thru his skin until his eyebrows were completely lined with the metal earrings.  What I initially thought was red ink on his eyebrows, was actually blood.   Suddenly I felt like I had been thrust into a horror movie, like "Hellraiser" or "Silence of the Lambs".  And to think - my eyes water when I stub my toe!  All in all, the convention was quite stimulating, and the people were very interesting.  I think I got my fill of needles for the next decade.