Rebellion Is For Everyone

I read a series of books about what it would be like if Revelations actually happened as written.  If you cut out all the preachy crap, it was a pretty vivid description of the end times.  It'd make a good 85 minute flick.

After reading the previous post, I'll add my take on the subject.  See, rebellion is something that I and my sister have been around alot by the choices we've made.  You can't be involved in the arts and NOT see this stuff.  Like I said, I have geeky friends who grow up and like stuff like tattoos and odd piercings and shaved/dyed hair.  Whatever.  It was for them.

It's not me.  For a number of key reasons, it is not now nor never will be me.  But that's me and only me.  If you want it, go nuts.  It's your money.

I chose to rebel in plain sight.  I like dressing to fit in, blend in. What's going on in my head is far more rebellious an existence than any outward showing.  I sometimes speak my unfiltered mind, take people to places I've only imagined.  That place is the razor's edge of creativity and insanity.

The view's okay, but the drinks suck.

Maybe it's because I did something that many people didn't approve of at such an early age, or maybe it's because it's more mainstream.  Maybe no one really cares.  But I'm so used to the doing something that disappoints feeling that I now own the action- I embrace it.  No one ever 'approved' of anything I did except school and work.  It's not that they didn't -actually- approve, they just never communicated that sentiment.  I know I didn't invest myself in hobbies and activities where the end result was someone else's approval.  When in music, I was just happy if I made it through the pieces and I hadn't screwed up.

Only my parents ever said "wow, nice report card."  College drove that home- I was only a number, found on a dot matrix printed sheet after every test.  No one swooped in to help, no one at school or anywhere other than family cared if I passed or failed.  No one other than family cared if I got my Ph.D, or was unemployed, or had to work 70 hours a week...

Youth may be about rebellion, but it is inelegant.  Crude.  Arguing for the sake of argument, and not for a real intelligent reason.  The reasons for rebellion are rarely considered, but that's the point.  The reason people didn't get tattoos are numerous, but do those still apply?  We expect the 20, 30 year old to sky dive.  We shun the 40 and 50 year old, because they're supposed to be serious and have families.  We celebrate the 60, 70 year old- "oh, they're so "alive!"  But what's the difference?  You can take rebellious actions at any age.

Ever notice that we're only really truly concerned when people rebel for others, as opposed to for themselves?

But whatever.  Point is that rebellion is very much a normal part of life.  I would offer that you start to die- really die- when you have stopped rebelling in any capacity.  And if you never rebelled, I would offer that you never truly lived.

But please don't call it body art.  That's so inane and vapid a description that you should swallow a bullet.  Most people that get such are incapable of their own creativity or expression and they pay to advertise someone else's.  I know my sister has more creative power in her pinky than just about anyone- but the sullen goth, emo, metalhead, cam/scenewhore, fanboi/grrl, or other trendy wastes of DNA just don't, and they realize their entire existence will be summed up by some bored dude in a rural tattoo parlor.  Sad.