Eighth Session / Tattoo Finished

Well, this is it. My Phoenix tattoo is now complete. It was a great experience and I am very happy with the results.

Seventh Phoenix Tattoo Session

We are on the home stretch. Only one more session after this one to finish it all up. This session involved doing the talon and lotus flower on the inside of my arm along with various smoke work around my arm.

Sixth Phoenix Tattoo Session

Okay, we are almost done. I have two more sessions scheduled and I should be good to go. In this latest session, we connected the chest piece and the shoulder piece with smoke and flowers. Warning, there is man boob in these pics. ;)

Fifth Phoenix Tattoo Session

My tattoo is really starting to come together. I get blown away every time seeing the work of Vic Back at Painted Temple Tattoo in Sugar House, Utah.

I am not welcome there. I do not fit the mold.

There was a recent article in the Deseret News that really infuriated me. I have talked before about why I call myself That Guy with the Hair. I usually wear my hair buzzed on the sides and spiky on top. That has been my look for most of my adult life.

Here is an example of what I am talking about with my hair.

Well, this coming weekend is General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka. The Mormons. In the Deseret News (the Mormon Church's newspaper) was this article about Utah County men preparing to sing at the conference.

Utah County men prepare to sing at LDS conference

This is the most infuriating part for me.

Many of them have also lost head and all facial hair, and will be required to lose jewelry and boldly colored or patterned ties as well in exchange for something darker and more subtle.

No music, no backpacks, no phones, iPods or carry-ons, no color in your socks, fresh haircuts and no cologne or spiky hair.

“And we’re glad to do it,” says Joel Baldwin of the Pleasant Grove Utah Timpanogos Stake. “Following a dress and grooming standard set for this choir means that the congregation can focus on the intent of the songs we sing without distraction.”

No spiky hair. That is me. The article goes on to describe men with beards that are not welcome along with anyone with a bad tie or socks with color in them. Everyone needs to look the same with boring haircuts, dark conservative suits, white shirts, and boring, drab ties.

Can there be a more blatant display of the types of people that are not welcome in this church? I have spiky hair; therefore, I am not welcome in this church. I wear earrings sometimes, another strike against me. I have horrible, filthy tattoos; you might as well send me straight to hell right now.

The freedom of expression is not welcome in the Mormon Church. I love people that express themselves. The punk with the purple mohawk. The girl with the short skirt and torn tights. The guy with too many tattoos and piercings. The businesswoman in her dress suit. There are many more examples, but you get the idea. We were not meant to all look like cookie cutter copies of Mormon missionaries.

Why will I never return to this church? The type of person that I am along with others that are like me are not welcome there. I do not fit the boring mold of a man that they require. In fact, Jesus Christ himself would not be welcome in this choir to sing to his own "prophet." His appearance does not fit the standards of this church.

Fourth Phoenix Tattoo Session

Here are the results of my fourth Phoenix tattoo session.

Third Phoenix Tattoo Session

Here are the results of my third tattoo session. My Phoenix continues to rise from the ashes.

The Phoenix head from my second tattoo session healed up really well.

More pictures to come soon from the fourth session.