I think maybe part of why I've always been drawn to the alternative scene is that we go through painful procedures to represent our insides on our outside. To separate ourselves from everyone else. To be individuals.
I mean I also kind of grew up in an alternative household. I never knew my dad because of some of his anti-government and anti-war ideals. My mom was always good to hide it from me but she was visited by the FBI several times a year for over a decade as they attempted to find him. It wasn't anything violent and I fully agree with him and what he was doing. So I was raised by two strong women fighters. Not literally, but they were standing for no sexist, racist bullshit from anyone telling them that they couldn't do this or that because they were women. My grandmother once went with my mom to a "father and daughter" event at her school and they weren't going to let them attend until my grandmother explained to them that her father was dead and she was both parents and if they excluded her there would be hell to pay.
So in like 2001 or so I suffered a fairly severe spinal cord injury. I was quickly rushed into a 10 hour surgery and because my neurosurgeon was an absolute boss I didn't lose the use of my legs. This is a guy who was a professor at two local universities and lectures all over the world and comes to me in the recovery room to tell me that he was impressed with the amount of damage that I had done. I wasn't sure if I should feel shame or pride. Anyway, I did leave the table with chronic pain and nerve damage causing patches of "anesthesia" in my legs and feet (aka I can't feel some parts of my legs and other parts permanently feel like they are asleep).
Dot, dot, dot. More inc.