A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Oooh, Buck ‘o Five

Kyle sent in the following..

Let me start off by saying that my parents are as about conservative as they come! They voted for Reagan, and both of the Bushes. Because of that I’m not particularly modded, which sucks. I see myself as ‘not me’ because of it. I’ve pierced my ears about three times, my lip twice and just recently my septum. Each time my dad has found out (I wore my septum flipped up, but it fell back down during dinner) he almost ripped ripped them out. I felt that scarification was the only way I could permanently mark myself before I get out of this house in a year. This is just a small self done braille scar. It says “free.” kind of an oxymoron because I’m not! I thought it would be raised, but i don’t think I cut deep enough (even though biiiig chunks of flesh came out). I ended up telling them that I hit it on some screws during stage crew, which I am part of (I got some pretty gnarly natural scars from that, anyhow).

I think in a month or so I’m going to brand it. Maybe it will raise up.

Comments

100 responses to “Oooh, Buck ‘o Five”

  1. Fluorescent Panda Avatar
    Fluorescent Panda

    When i had my septum pierced i had a bar retainer in. No chance of that flipping down!

  2. Fluorescent Panda Avatar
    Fluorescent Panda

    When i had my septum pierced i had a bar retainer in. No chance of that flipping down!

  3. Shaun Avatar
    Shaun

    measure twice, cut once.

  4. Shaun Avatar
    Shaun

    measure twice, cut once.

  5. Lil Miss Strange Avatar

    try to use my special mix vaseline/lemonjuice/sugar. open the wound every day for a week, rub the mix in and cover it with foil till you repeat this the next day. it made my scar raise pretty thick for a white girl 😉

  6. Lil Miss Strange Avatar

    try to use my special mix vaseline/lemonjuice/sugar. open the wound every day for a week, rub the mix in and cover it with foil till you repeat this the next day. it made my scar raise pretty thick for a white girl 😉

  7. freekyeyes Avatar

    ive a large scarification project in progress i aggitated mine twice a day with a massarge sponge and covered it wit a sanitery towel for 2 weeks. its 6 weeks down the line and looks amazing … i love the simpleness of this one tho and the meaning with it looks awesum !!!

    (yess i know i cant spell)

  8. freekyeyes Avatar

    ive a large scarification project in progress i aggitated mine twice a day with a massarge sponge and covered it wit a sanitery towel for 2 weeks. its 6 weeks down the line and looks amazing … i love the simpleness of this one tho and the meaning with it looks awesum !!!

    (yess i know i cant spell)

  9. Absinthe Avatar

    I definitely sympathise with your cause! I assure you it gets better as soon as you’ve moved out and when you go back to visit you end up wondering how you ever lived with it for so long!

  10. Absinthe Avatar

    I definitely sympathise with your cause! I assure you it gets better as soon as you’ve moved out and when you go back to visit you end up wondering how you ever lived with it for so long!

  11. akibare Avatar
    akibare

    A friend of mine has a braille tattoo, done with brown ink so that it appears to be very coincidentally (completely unnatural, obviously!) freckles.

    The relevant part, she had the tattoo artist really irritate the dots also, so that they are very slightly raised. It’s still one of my favorite tattoos ever.

    What did you cut these with?

  12. akibare Avatar
    akibare

    A friend of mine has a braille tattoo, done with brown ink so that it appears to be very coincidentally (completely unnatural, obviously!) freckles.

    The relevant part, she had the tattoo artist really irritate the dots also, so that they are very slightly raised. It’s still one of my favorite tattoos ever.

    What did you cut these with?

  13. Caroline June Avatar
    Caroline June

    I think that looks brilliant.

  14. Caroline June Avatar
    Caroline June

    I think that looks brilliant.

  15. Mangaartist Avatar

    I agree in that it’s not measured out well enough, the letters flow into each other rather than being 4 separate letters. The circles are pretty round though, how did you do it?

  16. Mangaartist Avatar

    I agree in that it’s not measured out well enough, the letters flow into each other rather than being 4 separate letters. The circles are pretty round though, how did you do it?

  17. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    silly republicans

  18. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    silly republicans

  19. Kira Avatar
    Kira

    Hey Kyle, don’t let your parents burn you on all Republicans forever. Both of my parents voted the way yours did, but they’re really supportive of my mods and my mom is even looking in to being a medical marijuana grower (how Republican). And on the flip side, just because someone is a Democrat doesn’t mean they’re tolerant. My friend’s “liberal” mother hates piercings so much, any time her kids came home with one she ripped it out of their skin. It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its voting record.

  20. Kira Avatar
    Kira

    Hey Kyle, don’t let your parents burn you on all Republicans forever. Both of my parents voted the way yours did, but they’re really supportive of my mods and my mom is even looking in to being a medical marijuana grower (how Republican). And on the flip side, just because someone is a Democrat doesn’t mean they’re tolerant. My friend’s “liberal” mother hates piercings so much, any time her kids came home with one she ripped it out of their skin. It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its voting record.

  21. courtney Avatar
    courtney

    My husband and I are republicans and wouldn’t be oppossed to our son getting mods (he’s only 5 months now so he has some time!). So we’re not all bad. =)

  22. courtney Avatar
    courtney

    My husband and I are republicans and wouldn’t be oppossed to our son getting mods (he’s only 5 months now so he has some time!). So we’re not all bad. =)

  23. Minigoth1 Avatar
    Minigoth1

    I am in the same boat.

    My parents are Mormon, conservative, republicans.

  24. Minigoth1 Avatar
    Minigoth1

    I am in the same boat.

    My parents are Mormon, conservative, republicans.

  25. Viking's Valkyrie Avatar
    Viking’s Valkyrie

    What mods do you and your husband have, Courtney? I collect modded republicans! My Boyfriend is one! 😀

    I love this simple little scar. I’m not a big fan of “I’m lashing out against mommy and daddy” mods but I understand their place. Modification wouldn’t be where it is today with out them.

  26. Viking's Valkyrie Avatar
    Viking’s Valkyrie

    What mods do you and your husband have, Courtney? I collect modded republicans! My Boyfriend is one! 😀

    I love this simple little scar. I’m not a big fan of “I’m lashing out against mommy and daddy” mods but I understand their place. Modification wouldn’t be where it is today with out them.

  27. Jenn Avatar
    Jenn

    “I see myself as ‘not me’ because of it.” Wow, you have no idea how much i agree with you and how that’s exactly how i feel. I love the scar, by the way. Simple and meaningful.

  28. Jenn Avatar
    Jenn

    “I see myself as ‘not me’ because of it.” Wow, you have no idea how much i agree with you and how that’s exactly how i feel. I love the scar, by the way. Simple and meaningful.

  29. ishiverandshake Avatar
    ishiverandshake

    I feel your pain. My parents didn’t speak to me for over half a year after they saw my scars.

  30. ishiverandshake Avatar
    ishiverandshake

    I feel your pain. My parents didn’t speak to me for over half a year after they saw my scars.

  31. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    I used to be in the same boat. My dad was very very strict. I wasn’t allowed to go out with friends, let alone have a tattoo or piercing.

    He died when I was 20, and my mom always says that he died so that my brother and I could blossom into who we really are. Now I’m heavily modified and feel more comfortable in my own skin then I have my entire life.

  32. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    I used to be in the same boat. My dad was very very strict. I wasn’t allowed to go out with friends, let alone have a tattoo or piercing.

    He died when I was 20, and my mom always says that he died so that my brother and I could blossom into who we really are. Now I’m heavily modified and feel more comfortable in my own skin then I have my entire life.

  33. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    Who’s ‘Regan’?

  34. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    Who’s ‘Regan’?

  35. RooRaaah Crumbs Avatar

    Joe – Corrected!

  36. RooRaaah Crumbs Avatar

    Joe – Corrected!

  37. RachelM Avatar
    RachelM

    I can symphathize with the parents disagreeing. My parents tell me I’m not allowed “excessive body piercings” while i’m living in their house. Good thing I’m 18 and can get easily hideable mods though =)

  38. RachelM Avatar
    RachelM

    I can symphathize with the parents disagreeing. My parents tell me I’m not allowed “excessive body piercings” while i’m living in their house. Good thing I’m 18 and can get easily hideable mods though =)

  39. ~ Avatar
    ~

    There comes a point when your parents become more like your friends than dictators or competitors. My mom hates my septum ring (my only piercing) so out of respect for her I don’t wear it when I see her. It might take lots of work, but a middle ground will come.

  40. ~ Avatar
    ~

    There comes a point when your parents become more like your friends than dictators or competitors. My mom hates my septum ring (my only piercing) so out of respect for her I don’t wear it when I see her. It might take lots of work, but a middle ground will come.

  41. Mixxi Avatar

    I love the concept behind this :). It’s great that you can have something for now that makes you feel more like you.

  42. Mixxi Avatar

    I love the concept behind this :). It’s great that you can have something for now that makes you feel more like you.

  43. Chimney Bear Avatar
    Chimney Bear

    Both my Parents are Militeristic Republicans but my mom supports all piercings.

  44. Chimney Bear Avatar
    Chimney Bear

    Both my Parents are Militeristic Republicans but my mom supports all piercings.

  45. meredithgraves Avatar

    I had the exact same problem in high school to the point where my mother had my ears professionally edited out of my senior pictures. I still cherish the stick and poke tattoo I gave myself for my fifteenth birthday. Things are going to get better for you– people change, children move out, and years down the road your family will likely realize that there are bigger problems in the world than whether or not their beloved child has a ring in his nose.

    Find other ways to feel ‘like you’ for the time being and when the time is right, everything will come together for you. Best of luck!

  46. meredithgraves Avatar

    I had the exact same problem in high school to the point where my mother had my ears professionally edited out of my senior pictures. I still cherish the stick and poke tattoo I gave myself for my fifteenth birthday. Things are going to get better for you– people change, children move out, and years down the road your family will likely realize that there are bigger problems in the world than whether or not their beloved child has a ring in his nose.

    Find other ways to feel ‘like you’ for the time being and when the time is right, everything will come together for you. Best of luck!

  47. cassandra.anne Avatar
    cassandra.anne

    I absolutely adore the concept of this. I, too, have some scars on my calf that I constantly have to hide from my own conservative parents(not being able to wear shorts in the hot Texas sun – ouch!). I hope these eventually do raise up for you!

  48. cassandra.anne Avatar
    cassandra.anne

    I absolutely adore the concept of this. I, too, have some scars on my calf that I constantly have to hide from my own conservative parents(not being able to wear shorts in the hot Texas sun – ouch!). I hope these eventually do raise up for you!

  49. Rayne Avatar

    I feel really sorry for you dude…My Mum is really open when it comes to mods. I’m only 17 and even if she doesn’t totally agree with what I want, as long as I pay for it she’ll sign for it. So far she’s let me get my tongue, eyebrow and even let me get a tattoo (which is my sister’s hand print, she’s currently 1yr). It sucks when people can’t be open to others likes and dislikes. Just remember one thing: KARMA. You might not know how or when, but karma always has a way of getting back at people. Just like your suffering now, you will one day truly be free, and not have to worry about the oppressive habits of others.

  50. Rayne Avatar

    I feel really sorry for you dude…My Mum is really open when it comes to mods. I’m only 17 and even if she doesn’t totally agree with what I want, as long as I pay for it she’ll sign for it. So far she’s let me get my tongue, eyebrow and even let me get a tattoo (which is my sister’s hand print, she’s currently 1yr). It sucks when people can’t be open to others likes and dislikes. Just remember one thing: KARMA. You might not know how or when, but karma always has a way of getting back at people. Just like your suffering now, you will one day truly be free, and not have to worry about the oppressive habits of others.

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