The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

So it is time for my first entry. At a Tattoo shop, you sometimes get some really dumb questions. Often time I sum this up to people being generally nervous about the procedure and what it's going to cost them, which is fine, perfectly normal. I understand being nervous, I have quite a collection of ink and metal and I still get butterflies in my stomach before a procedure.

Since beginning my Body Modification addiction many years ago, I have noticed women take the pain a LOT better than men. I'm sure this has to do with the fact that women just take pain better, what with child birth and all. I really do feel a lot of it has to do with masculinity as well.
The years I have worked within the walls of a shop, I have seen a lot of weird shit. For every female that faints there are 20 guys who faint, usually during a small tattoo as well. Rarely do you see a guy faint who is getting the big ass skull on his chest, its usually something really lame like the wife's name.
One time back in 2003 I was getting a good sized tattoo on my kneecap. I had to wait for the tattoo artist to do a 'real quick' zodiac tattoo on this guys arm about the size of a golf ball. "Should only take about 15 minutes" the artist said. I reply "Okay man, no problem" and waited patiently.... well an hour and a half later, after this client sweated bullets, cried, vomited twice and passed out for 30 minutes I finally got into the chair. I remember feeling really bad for this dude because he sat in the tattoo shop under 'observation' the entire time I got tattooed. The tattoo I got that day dwarfed his completely. To this day I look back and feel kinda bad for him, but I often laugh about it too.

As far as clients I have worked on, my favorite is still one that involves a guy. I was working in a shop back in my hometown when a guy came in and wanted some piercings. He wanted an eyebrow piercing and a helix piercing (upper ear). He sat down in the chair and I go through my speech of what to expect and what to do (Mainly don't stop breathing). He understood and I then preformed the eyebrow piercing. I took a step back to check on him asking the usual, "How are you feeling? Lightheaded? Dizzy? No? Okay, would you like to do the other one right away or would you like a moment?" He replied, all tough guy sounding "I'm FINE! Just do the other one right now!" So I proceeded. After executing the piercing and getting the jewelry in place I noticed he looked a little flushed. I asked "Hey man, how are you doing? Are you lightheaded?" as I pulled the trash can closer to him in the event he was going to vomit. He replied rather clearly "I THINK YOU PARALYZED MY FUCKING FACE, YOU STUPID CUNT!!!" At this point I could only shrug it off and tend to my client as any good professional would. In the end it took a lollipop for him to get back on his feet. After he paid for his piercings and I was finished giving him his aftercare, I looked at him and said "Okay. #1, don't ever call me a cunt again, Ever. #2, don't believe everything you see on television. Piercing ear cartilage will not paralyze your face. Okay?" The look he gave me after I said that. I thought he was going to pass out, again.