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The Heavy Meta SVU and Why I Got Inked

I have spent many hours reliving that fateful day. I’m left wondering if there was something I could do, write, and say to keep me from being discharged. Nothing but silence filled the room until the sound of paper being slid across the table towards me broke it. The paper told me I was not able to serve my country any longer to do the job I loved the most. I did not go home immediately after being served this devastating news. I love my wife and boys very much but I could not bear to face them. Their disappointment would tear me apart. I was just fired from my job and all thought of myself was that I was a failure to them and myself. After a few hours of alone time, I went home to face the music.

Many tears were shed that afternoon. This meant we’d have to leave our new home in Japan and return to a life we thought we escaped when I enlisted. While my discharge paperwork was being processed, I had to remain in Japan while my little family returned home. Being an ocean away from the people I loved most was hard on me. I binged on playing Magic, alcohol and podcasts to pass the time away. Little did I know I was changing…and not in a good way. I’d eventually reunite with them but not for a few months.

Initially, I accepted the discharge. It meant freedom from strict rules that I was engrained to follow for 4 yrs and also meant more time to spend with the wife and kids. As the days went by, the changes set forth in my time away from the family re-emerged. I slowly started becoming an empty shell of the man I used to be. My wife, my kids… Everyone noticed but I didn’t care, I was nothing but a failure. I lashed out at loved ones, I had a terrible attitude towards customers at work and I neglected taking care of myself. Above all, I lost interest in the game I loved most, Magic. Though I quit playing, I kept in touch with the community through listening to podcasts.

During my time of need, two crazy dudes started a podcast and unbeknownst to them, jolted me out of my dark stupor. The podcast I had come to know and love was Heavy Meta. The hosts of the cast, Matty Studios and Kevy Metall, had chemistry and humor that resonated well with me and I instantly felt a connection with them. Not only was it their humor and chemistry, it was also their ability to hold my attention for more than two hours at a time with their storytelling.

Slowly, a small and dedicated fanbase crept up from nowhere. We listened to the cast like it was a gospel for us. One episode early on, Kevy drunkenly deemed us the “Heavy Meta SVU.” Our name was inspired by the hit tv show, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Like the victims in the show, we were deemed “special” for putting up with the shenanigans and tomfoolery of the cast every week. We loved them no matter what they did and they loved us back. They created a shirt and a playmat for us, the fans. What other cast has done this for their fans?

This mutual dedication transformed the Heavy Meta SVU. We weren’t just a fan club anymore, we became a family. Like any family, we’d do anything for each other. A shining example of this was during my recent trip to GP Vegas. During the event, I lost a box full of tokens, alters and artist signed cards. Immediately, the entire group I was with emptied their wallets and gave me straight cash/cards to help replace what I could. I remember Matty giving me all he had in his wallet with exception for cab fare. What an awesome gesture from someone I had only met the previous day. Who would do this for someone they barely knew? A family, that’s who.

Being apart of this family and knowing what we’re willing to do for each other solidified a decision I made a long time ago to dedicate a part of my body to something meaningful. This family means so much to me that I got a tattoo dedicated to us, the Heavy Meta SVU.

A tattoo is something I’ve always wanted since I saw some on my grandpa’s arms when I was little. I was torn on what to get as my first tattoo. Should it be dedicated to my nerdiness, my wife or my kids? Nothing interested me or suited my tastes. I abandoned the endeavor until the Heavy Meta SVU came into my life a short while ago.

The decision to get a tattoo is no easy feat for anyone. A tattoo is a permanent deal. It’s something that’ll remain apart of you til the day you die. They rescued me from the deep dark depths of depression and accepted me into the family. In honor, I dedicated my first tattoo and a part of my body forever to my extended family. Thanks for everything guys, this is for you.

HeavyMetaTattoo

Mike Marsala
@gingertalian

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