On April 13th, 1969 Took my first breath and joined the human race and ever since have been for the most part, making the world wish it had never invited me to the party in the first place. At least that's what they keep tell. Just who "they" are is always in question.
I was born and raised in Des Moines Iowa by my adopted parents Gerald "Jerry" Wilkins (who left this world in 1994) and Dorris "Grace" Wilkins. Who are the only parents I've ever known, had or ever cared to have. I have two older sisters Debbie and Kim. Growing up with them taught me a great deal of tolerance and love. A large part of my childhood and molding came from my Grandmother Mabel Eben. She passed away in 1997 at 92 but still lives on in our hearts and minds on a daily basis.
After climbing out of childhood and becoming a adolescent, I began to get interested in music(punk rock), BMX Freestyling, and Skateboarding. To say that ages 13-24 were rebellious would kind of be a bit of an understatement. Instead of going into all the causes for each and every one of my mother's grey hairs (she's been dying them for sometime). Let's say that I did a lot of searching and boy did I look in a lot of places. Often I look back and wonder just why I am still alive, not in jail and what is the funny looking guy with no hair I keep seeing in family pictures.
During this time of searching, I started collecting tattoos and luckily didn't come out with anything I hate. I developed a taste for Guinness, Loud fast music, fast times, 12 year old Scotch, fiction by Faulkner, Miller and Bukowski and good cigars. Luckily I had this time to find my true loveBody Piercing and Tattooing.
I can't remember what caused it or when it happened but at a young age I wanted to get my nipple pierced. After years of putting it off and a few failed attempts I started looking into getting them done. What I found pretty quickly, was that it was not something that you can just go out and have done. After much research and reading I began to develop a strong urge to start piercing. It did not take much time to get hooked on the idea of piercing professionally and with the help of Sherry at Creative Images, I finished a too short apprenticeship and starting piercing back in May 94.
There's something about owning your own business that sucks the life blood out of you while at the same time you're having the time of your life. You throw so much of your life into that space and as I'm sitting here I can feel the warmth of so many people, events and changes that have come to my life over the past years. The Axiom is in a large part my life and life's blood. When I think of all the dead end jobs I had over the years, I feel blessed to have this place even though sometimes it's a pain in the ass.
Also I owned and operated Axiom Promotions that promoted live music in Des Moines steadily over a four year period from 1996 to 2000. Some of the bands I have promoted were: Murphy's Law, The Humpers, Real Big Fish, Black-47, At the Drive-in, Social Distortion, The Pleasure Fuckers, TSOL and a shit more. Promoting has always been pretty much a hobby, and I think I've only made a couple of grand but did I have a blast. After taking close to 5 years off I began agian and had my first show back at Mary's in September of 2005. To say the least I've always been active in the music scene here. I was in a band that keeps broke up, The Have Nots (Thanks to that metal band Slipknot). I even was involved in a public access show called "The Recline of Midwestern Civilization" and even took a shot at Management and Booking.
Back in 1997 I thought I had met the love of my life. We all have that person that comes along that makes us go, "Stop looking this is the one. Everything was going well, hell I even looked at rings a few times. Well, in January of 98 she told me that she was pregnant. Of course I freaked out, then settled down and then made a sounding resolution that we are starting a family. Everything seemed right at that time. I really felt that regardless of the problems and trails ahead that we could make it. I was wrong. You really don't know until you go through a rough situation just who you are dating. She called it quits in March and we went own separate ways. Quinn Colin Bottenfield was born September 4th, 1998. Since, we hadn't be on speaking terms since April it was a couple of months before I finally got to met him. No one can explain in words what it feels like to hold your own child. It's one of those emotions that can only be experienced first hand.
Quinn is my best friend and comes before everything. His personality much like my own. Strong willed, fearless and a burning need to find out all the mysteries of the world first hand. With his great love of animals we took a number of trips to the Blank Park Zoo and it's a unlettable joy to watch his joy. When we are together we play(some thing I had realized I missed), do puzzles(he is really into puzzles), play games and watch every movie around. Right now he is a big fan of Monster Garage. The thing that stick out in my mind about my experience of fatherhood is that you can't help but envy the unbridled passion and expression of joy, love and excitement he has. It makes you wonder if you yourself have have lost it or if it hidden deep within.
I feel bless that even though Quinn's mother and I are not together that she is a truly great mother. In a lot of way I know that is because the things that first drew me to her in the first place are some of the things that make her a great mom. The proof of this, is what a wonderful little man he is and the fact that regardless of what goes on between her and me, I hold no ill will. It's strange to me and maybe it's my age and my growth. I don't know but he has long wiped any anger I've had out of me. That's the thing that I think people miss about children. There was a time in my life where I view kids as little stress makers. I think a lot of people see it that way especially if it's outside of a conventional relationship. The thing is it's not the kids that cause the stress, it's all the stuff around you that does. It's your job, the phone, your friends, the TV News and etc.. What I've found is that if I focus on Quinn and our time together then all the crap that makes up my life, tends to seem very unimportant. So, even when he is being a bit of a pill, he is pulling me out of that stress. I don't know if that make sense or if I've done it justice but it's a wonderful thing.
The last addition to the family is my sister Debbie's son Connor Gerald Wilkins. He has become a regular fixture at the house and a playmate for Quinn. I think Connor having my father's name for a middle name has given him some of my father's spark. He has a strong will and energy that keeps you on your toes and a smile on your face.
It's been a lot of water under the bridge and a hell of a lot of burnt bridges, but it was all well worth it, and as the Humpers put it I'm going to "Live forever or Die Trying."
