Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Bondage Girl


We are often tied down, trapped by our own beliefs, and blinded to the true reality. 

Cass writes: 
My Bondage Girl tattoo is often mistaken for some sexual meaning but to me it is all about being trapped. I drew her when I was only 14 and looked at her every day. 

She reminded me of just how much I felt powerless, tied-down, stuck in my own body.  Bind-folded, she saw no future.  

Facing depression, mental health issues and eating disorders, I weighted only 82 lbs and developed Osteoporosis at 16.
It started started as a child with a gym teaches saying I was too fat to do gymnastics. About the same time I found my in sister’s diet pills. I began to live in my sister’s shadow – stuck in own body – but trying to change to someone else. Reaching out I found myself in a cruel relationship with a much older man, got pregnant and had an abortion.  Life was very hard, I was a mess.  I began doing drugs and started cutting and going further down the road of self-abuse.   

Four years later at 18, tattoo artist Robert Person inked my Bondage Girl onto my arm. 
I was her: Trapped, Tied down.    
Her image was now permanent, 
just like my condition.  

Only a miracle could cut us free.   

-------------------------

Cass did find her miracle.

That miracle turned out to be her daughter
but that’s a different tattoo story.

The next instalment in Tattoo Tales.