Sidewalks are pretty narrow places that smash together people from all walks of life. In Athens, where driving is more of a luxury than a necessity, students tread the sidewalks hurriedly between classes. The sidewalk forces people together with a bump or a brush, and is the location of many a scuffle. Sometimes, like when the weather is rainy, the sidewalk width is just too small to accommodate everyone.

This week I thought it might be fun to be behind the camera for a change. I enlisted the help of my friend Liz Westendorf to attempt to hold an umbrella over strangers on two occasions. The first day we went out it was raining and even hailing for a brief period. The second day was cloudy, but no rain. Not surprisingly, and comically, people found it much more normal for someone to try to share an umbrella on a rainy day than on a clear day.

Liz went through the same difficulties with nerves I did, but I think she is so hilarious on a day-to-day basis that the whole task was more enjoyable. Once again, while we both set out with the fear of being yelled at or ostracized, we were pleasantly surprised by the reaction of people on the street. In this experiment, it seemed that children were far more disturbed at the idea of walking under Liz's umbrella than adults. I figure this has to do with the "stranger danger" mindset of all kids these days. Regardless, it was a lot of fun. Below is a clip of our umbrella endeavors.

In an attempt to put into context the wild photos of people who pushed their physical other-ness to the very max, I think I failed to recognize the fabric of every community that pushes the norm just enough, those people that are putting themselves completely "out there" without trying to change their species.

So today I recognize those fellows who help us to create our sense of individuality, the tattoo artists and pierce artists of Athens.

Alex Andrews, 22, is a graphic artist who tattoos at Art Apocalypse on Union Street. He said he feels stigmatized when he comes into contact with people who would never choose to be tattooed, and find tattooing more of a masochistic hobby than an artistic one.

"Every individual is made with the same very limited amount of differences," Andrews said. "We can all grow our hair out and buy the same clothes at the same stores, but a tattoo or piercing is something you can put on you to represent a certain style or aspect of yourself that no one else has."

Craig Jacobson, 24, said he fell in love with piercing three years ago. Today he works as a piercer at Art Apocalypse with Andrews. While Jacobson conveyed how it is true those who are also pierced and tatted probably have more in common with him than others, he explained the catch-22.

"We do these things knowing that it keeps us from being part of the norm but then it becomes the norm," Jacobson said. "It's really weird how it all works out."

Taking a left on Union to Court Street will eventually lead you to Decorative Injections and its owner, Jimmy Kisor. Kisor grew up in Athens and has owned the tattoo and piercing shop with his wife for seven years. He has seen the way the tattoo market is becoming more mainstream, and is thankful.

"Reality television showed educated, nice people with tattoos," Kisor said. "Thirty years ago it would have been different. I've tatted a 70-year-old woman! Who knows where we will be in another thirty years, maybe [it will be illegal and] I'll have to go underground. That's how fast it changes."

Both stores will be celebrating in a special way during the Athens Halloween Block Party. Art Apocalypse will be doing a suspension for four or five people at the shop and Kisor will be performing "Rock Opera Act Three" with his band The Goodbye Goats Oct. 23rd at the Union Bar. Check out the slideshow below for more info on the artists and their art.

Clearly what is “acceptable” in physical appearance varies from culture to culture. Americans push the envelope every year when it comes to what is the physical norm. We are overweight. We are covering our arms and legs with sleeves of tattoos; remember when a single barbed-wire tattoo laced around the bicep was bad-ass? We are getting “work” done to “improve” our physical appearance.

And yet, most of us try best we can to adhere to the norm. We want to get plastic surgery, but not so a stranger could tell. We want our tattoos to be located in a place that won’t affect our ability to get a job. If we are overweight, we try to dress so as to cover those “trouble” spots.

Most interesting are the people that aren’t confined by these social norms. Below is a slide-show filled with famous people such as Valentino Garavani and everyday individuals who simply choose not to adhere to what is deemed acceptable. There is also a photo of a Fat Bottom Burlesque show, which glamorizes the bodies of plus-sized women.

I refuse to believe that the people in these photos drastically alter themselves for the sole purpose of attention. In the past, I would have considered them all with scorn. Now I am truly curious about how they live life daily under such scrutiny. Never would I want to alter myself in such a manner, but I suppose I have a grudging respect for their ability to stand strong against mass opinion.

According to Clinton R. Sanders, Customizing the Body (2008): The Art and Culture of Tattooing:
How closely one meets the cultural criteria for beauty is of key social and personal import. The extensive research on attractiveness indicates that there is consensus about tthe physical factors that characterize beauty. When presented with series of photographs, experimental subjects are able to identify quickly and reliably those that show beautiful people and those that show ugly people…

Attractivenss has considerable impact on our social relationships. We think about attractive people more often, define them as being more healthy, express greater appreciation for their work… their chance of economic success is greater…. (p. 1)

One of the highlighted locations perspective students tour while visiting Ohio University is the Ping Student Center, the gym that acts as a hub for student recreation. Students and community members go there daily, work up a sweat and leave happy. Most of the time, they get by with their iPods lodged firmly in their ears and without having to interact with strangers.

I high-tailed it to Ping to not only speak with strangers, but to try to physically interact with them by asking them to stretch out with me. With shame I admit that much of the time, it was I who was super uncomfortable while interacting. My favorite interaction can be seen in the clip below.

Leah Crone-Magyroy, a senior green-design major, is highlighted in the clip below. She was friendly throughout the whole strange ordeal, agreeing immediately to help me by pulling on my arms, pushing on my calves, and allowing me to wrap my arms around her to try to crack her back.

"It was awfully random," Crone-Magyroy said. "No one had ever asked me [to help her stretch] before, but I wasn't weirded out."

Jesse Midwood,25, is the helpful stranger that responded to my shouts for assistance in cracking my back. He said he visits Ping once a week and though he was shocked I asked a stranger for help with my back, he was happy to lend his expertise.

Truthfully, the response of the Ping-ers went completely against that of my hypothesis. It didn't seem to matter what I asked, as long as I had a big smile on my face and tried to be nice, I was treated well in return.