Will you do what others do or Be the Exception?

Are You A Rebel?

I think most people go through rebellious stage at some point in their lives with most rebellions taking place during their teen or young adult years. I once heard a speaker say, "I hope for you that your child goes through being rebellious at a young age as rebellion later in life can have bigger consequences and a larger effect on more lives."

Historically, it used to be incredibly rebellious to get pierced all over your body; then came tattoos. You would start with one, followed by two, five, ten and then a full body cover-up. While many tattoos are beautiful, and some have incredible stories behind them, it's just not my thing. For starters, I'm terrified of needles. I also change my mind every five minutes and can't imagine committing to something permanent on my body for the rest of my life.

Though I can't personally commit to a tattoo, the history still fascinates me. Did you know the word "tattoo" comes from the Tahitian word "Tafu" which means "To mark something?" It's arguably claimed that tattooing has existed since 12,000 BC with the purpose varying from culture to culture based on location and time. In 1898, Daniel Fouquet, a medical doctor, published an article on "medical tattooing" practices in Ancient Egypt in which he described the tattooed marking on female mummies found at the Deir el-Bahari site.

The first documented professional tattoo artist in the US was Martin Hildebrandt, a German immigrant who arrived in Boston, MA in 1846. Between 1861-1865, he tattooed soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. While the art of tattooing has long shared a range of purposes, I feel the idea of rebellion has changed over time as what used to be considered a "rebellious behavior," such as being covered in tattoos, often transforms into the norm.

When I think about people getting pierced and tattooed I wonder, "Would it be, or is it, rebellious to skip the piercings and/or tattoos?" I'd be curious to know how many of you aren't covered in piercings or tattoos. I feel we can be even more rebellious by going against what everyone else is doing. What if the next time you want to get a tattoo, you tell everyone about the idea, the story behind it, and why it's important to you instead of just having it inked on you? With my birthday coming up, I've received a lot of requests to join others in getting a butterfly tattoo but as you know, the only kind I'm up for are those that require water to apply and wash off within a few days. Will you join me in rebellion for that type of tattoo?

What does living your exceptional life look like to you?

Do you have a tattoo? How long ago did you get it? Do you regret it or wish you could change it?

What is your tattoo of and what's the meaning behind it?

What is the most rebellious thing you've done and why?

#BeingDifferentIsGood #NoNeddlesForMe #BetheException