Those Beady Eyes That Watch You From The Shadows

We've all been there. Sitting on the train, in a park, at a red light, out at dinner, in the movie theater. You're sitting there, minding your own business, when you feel it. You turn to find out what has brought this sense of being watched on you and someone turns quickly away, hoping to avoid your notice of them staring at you. And the same is true that at one point or another we've been the watcher quickly turning our head in hopes that someone didn't see us staring at them. Certain cases of attraction will see a guy and a girl go back and forth, each checking the other out. Each turning quickly away when the other looks.

Sometimes it's not subtle at all. Sometimes it's just creepy. I was on the train going to church one Saturday and I had a woman just stare at me the entire time she was on the train. It was weird.

So why do I bring this up? In my recent metro rail adventures (And by adventures I mean I get angry and swear loudly about how awful WMATA is) I've noticed people trying to discreetly look at my tattoos. Peering over their paper, around other riders on the train, titling their heads in odd directions to try and look at my tattoos. Which is fine. I understand that my body art is awesome looking and other people should be allowed to enjoy it. Art is for the enjoyment of all right?

Side note: I do love when I'm sitting next to or near a girl on the train and she is checking out my tattoos and when she sees the bible verse on my arm, her interest vanishes. It's funny.

Anyway, people think they're being slick but I totally see them checking out my ink. It's not just on the train, but the train is such a small and confined space that I do notice it more there. And I know what those people are thinking.

"You were once a sane person. What possessed you to pay somebody to put you in pain and ruin your arms, out casting you from normal society forever?"

Now I love tattoos. I love having tattoos. I don't like getting tattooed, but it's a small, painful price to pay. I regret, and am grateful, that I waited until I was 22 to get my first tattoo. Ever since I started listening to punk rock and hardcore, I was always enthralled with tattoos. When I see people with tattoos, I always want to ask them about their tattoos. What they are, why they got them, etc.

Anyway, so people discreetly try and see what's on my arm. And I want to say, hey, you can ask to ask to see them. I love when people ask me about my tattoos. I like talking about myself. And better yet, I have scripture on my arm. Talking about my tattoos always leads to me talking about God and Jesus.

So if you're trying to secretly look at my tattoos just come up and ask to see them. If you want to know about them, ask me. I'll gladly talk to you about my tattoos.