You know that smell you breathe in whenever you first walk into that cream-colored, sterile-looking hospital? That's the smell I hate. It makes me think of death, sickness and fear. When I see something sharp connected to a T shape cylinder, I run. Literally, I have punched a nurse before, and I am only a little bit ashamed of saying that. I have lied to my own doctor about "losing" blood work scripts, and have even avoided flu shots; of course my mother still tricked me into going and getting the deed done. If this doesn't show you how much I hate needles, I have no idea what will get it through your mind.
On the other hand, I have 10 piercings, and two tattoos, which I plan on increasing the number of. Even worse, I pierced my ears with six sewing needles on a great college night. My one tattoo, which is on my neck, was a piece of cake. My second tattoo, which is on my side, made me squirm, but I still have never had so much anxiety that it drives me to fear away. These things give me the adrenaline rush that makes me want more and more.
Now tattoos and piercings both use needles, yes. I hear from every doctor and nurse that it's silly of me to even shy away from needles from everything my body has been through. But to the doctors and nurses that make fun of me, no. No, these things are not the same at all. You see, when I'm sitting there waiting for the tattoo artist to ink me with the vibrating gun, I'm more afraid of the outcome of how my appearance is going to look, not about the pain I would feel after being stabbed by a nurse. When you hear the vibration come off of that gun, it barely seems like it would be a needle inking you.
To me, tattoos are a symbolization of turning a chapter in your life. Whether it be a memorial of someone who is deceased or something simple like a semicolon to represent your strength through this journey, you are marking your body for a reason. Once a person has this kind of purpose, there is no pain. There is just pure pride and excitement to share all over social media (and possibly hide from you parents, because you know they will kill you no matter how meaningful it is).
These things don't hurt me as much as a doctor standing there with an IV would hurt my arm. Maybe it's the fact that IV's take blood or shots leave me with bruises that last what seems to be years. Maybe it's the fact that I am just deadly afraid of doctors and hospitals and I connect those to needles. Either way, saying there is no difference is just the same as saying there is no difference between strength and weakness.
