It's interesting that one of my most recent blogs was about my time at massage school because one of the first events of my weekend is very much shaped by something that happened while I was in massage school. There are some threads that lead back (or from if you prefer) from earlier in my life but the important crux point was in massage school. The other threads I will mention when I can place it in better context or at least make note of them.

Many, many years ago now at massage school (exact time frame I would have to do the math now and I would just rather not right now *grin*) we had the husband of the instructor who did the anatomy and physiology coursework came in to give a talk (I honestly can't remember what the original topic was... though now I'm really tempted to try and find out what it was... its starting a little tickle in the back of my mind *grin*) and was sidetracked at one point onto a conversation about tattoos and body modifications.

So this older gentleman was talking about the fact that he had a number of tattoos that each and every one had spiritual significance and deep meaning for him (Purely by looking at him you would not be able to tell he was tattooed *grin* he was by no means a modern primitive, he could have walked through corporate america without raising an eyebrow) and that while he wasn't going to just show them off in class that if anyone was that interested he would be more than willing to show and explain his tattoos to anyone with genuine interest in another setting. While I had no interest in getting a tour, the whole conversation did plant a seed.

So here I am starting to think about what kind of tattoo would I actually be willing to have. I put aside some of my feelings about tattoos (like the fact that my father had one and I so much did not want to be my father, the fact that tattoos tend to get.. ummm wonky looking when you get older, as well as the whole slew of thoughts about the cons to getting a tattoo) and actually started to think about what I would want that would have deep meaning to me. I would kick this question around for awhile as I thought about several different symbologies that I had studied or at least shown interest in. And then after awhile I rejected all of these external imageries and went into internal contemplation for awhile. I ended up mentally piecing together several different elements that spoke to me very specifically on several very deep levels.

The drawback of course is that you can't just go to a tattoo artist and go, "I want blah blah blah" and even remotely expect to receive something that even remotely resembles what you really wanted and of course since its permanent you are kind of stuck. So I put it on the back burner for the longest time. Every now and again I would run into an artist or a graphics design type person and I felt comfortable with them (meaning I didn't go chasing them down, just whenever one crossed my path) I would try to describe what I was looking for and some of the concepts behind the imagery. Despite several valiant attempts I always ended up returning the concept to the back burner and wait until the next visually creative person crossed my path.

So there I was on Friday after having spent almost an hour in line at the hotel reservation desk (though I kept myself fairly amused... a whole slew of people I haven't seen in various degrees of forever either were in line or wandering by at one point or another) only to find out that even though it was 5 o'clock that most of the rooms hadn't been cleaned up and readied yet (or at least that was a very common theme for most people in line, for one guy it was his third time in line and when I saw him much, much later he told me he didn't get his room until 10:30) but at least they didn't lose my reservation like had happened with some people I used to be very good friends with who came in from Huntsville (and of course that attempted to insert a small panic worm since I didn't even worry about bringing my confirmation number with me. "I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee..." *grin*)

And since I had some time to fill I went and got my con badge and went on a bit of walkabout after letting my ride know that I wouldn't be able to get my stuff out of his vehicle quite yet (but he was okay sitting around with some friends and playing pool in the hotel lobby *grin*). Off I went to the dealer's room, a good place to allow time to flux a bit and I could get a gander at all the treasures that are available without having to give in to the urge to actually snatch anything up since I didn't have room to hide them in yet (hey, the logic works for me *evilgrin*) and one of the first things I ran into was the creator of Order of the Stick which of course was very cool and very fitting and will be possibly another blog later as I will drift from the point of this one (who, me? *grin*)... So I will stretch forward to my sojourn through the art room.

I meander casually through the room since I have time to kill examining a lot of the creative offerings therein. I hold myself partially aloof since in my early con going years I always had a burning desire to buy some of this artwork especially when I was unable to afford to do so, so that when the wheel turned and I was able to afford some of these things I would tend to be a bit free with the purse strings especially when it came to things or similar things to that which I have drooled over in earlier years. But this particular expedition I had been intending on being a little thriftier with my spending patterns and was just looking around at the artwork for the sake of just looking at it and appreciating it without even nary a thought about whether or not I would like to acquire it.

I wandered around the edge of one of the display areas to check out the artwork in the back corner of the room from the entrance and there was this guy pulling his work out of his travel containers and working on putting them up on the peg board. I only know that because that is one of those moments where you are peripherally aware of what is happening around what your attention is focused on. I was looking at the design that I had spent so long trying to find someone talented and able to understand the concepts of in order to be able to reproduce my visualization.

So without hesitation I bought the original.

As if this wasn't synchronous enough, later on I would get in a conversation with the artist about the significance of his work to me and he told me about how this particular work had been one of those that he had restarted a couple times and had basically shelved until he finished a couple other of his works and had just finished it a few days before the con. His brother had been harassing him and telling him that nobody would buy it and essentially tormenting him over it, and here I was dropping a significant chunk of change to buy the original piece. But my first instinct is to acknowledge with as much energy I can my thanks to the universe for realizing my vision. I will probably be hassled for not just buying a print or downloading the online pic to use as flash, but whether or not the tattoo becomes physical reality I am extremely happy and thankful to the universe for its gifts. And of all the artwork I have bought over the last couple three years, this will be the first that I will actually hang instead of collecting in a closet. (I had a smile when I added the hyperlink to the artist's website and read what his description of the artwork when you clicked the link to this particular work... It seems that it is important symbology to the artist also... obviously *grin*)

- an amusing related sidetrack: on Saturday night I startled Paul by recognizing him while he was in his Where's Waldo costume since evidently he has had friends who have had trouble in the past realizing it was him if they didn't hear him speaking... *grin* My response was "Why wouldn't I recognize you?" without elaborating much at the time. I don't expect to ever end up being bosom companions with this gentleman since I don't let people in very easily (which ties very strongly into another conversation I had on Friday night) but I will probably at least aware of this artist anytime we are at the same event especially since several aspects of his creative imagination resonates for me... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I will probably always be aware of more than just the surface with this guy so I'm not surprised at all that I could recognize him where other people who have known him longer would not with prompting.

Before I make the final decision of whether or not to be marked I will have to talk about how my father got his tattoo and how it wasn't what he really wanted and some of the context in which he received his. Somewhere in time he wrote a short story or an article about his experience in getting his tattoo and if I can't find it I will do my best to paraphrase it without changing too much of the tone. But that also will be for another time since I must wrap up this missive and send it forth (even though I will be editing it later to add hyperlinks and photos since I am unable to do that until I get back to my home computer).

This weekend had a lot of intensity of many different kinds both good and not necessarily good, so I acknowledge that I have received gifts even in the few disappointments and closing of doors, for I have opened new ones and cracked open a few that had been closed. I was already in the mindset of thinking about patterns to some degree or another before the weekend started and a number of events and moments helped to clarify and affirm as well as to show me that even though I don't see a destination that somehow I am still on the path that as ever winding and intertwined that it has become (or probably has always been) it is all simply part of the Wyrd.

*grin*

Until next time that we create this space, Excellence and Prosperity to us all!