NO, I won’t ask about your ‘ink’
When I was a young kid, I would see people with tattoos and think those guys are some sort of deviants. I got a little older and wanted to pierce my ears and one day get a tattoo. Fortunately my father, an atheist cited that if the holy lord intended us to have earrings we would have been born with holes in our ears. Not the most compelling argument, but one that I accepted.
Then I reached that age where I could go and get tattooed if I wanted, but by then the desire had gone. I guess for me, the overriding decider was that I have a grave inability to fix my mind on any one path or decision. I find myself once ordering my food and sometimes even my drink at a restaurant, almost immediately thinking ‘ah fuck I am going to regret this’ – a little diner’s remorse if you will. I think it’s partly from not wanting other people to decide on something better than me, and also because ultimately nothing is really that great and life should really be seen as a series of fairly non-remarkable moments interspersed with bouts of joy and sadness.
And, what I have found as I get older, is that you really only have a few moments before the tattoo starts looking bad. This is usually as the body begins to sag, the muscles lose tone, the skin gets more fleshy and pasty.
There is nothing really more disgusting to bear, than a fat man revealing his tattoo, as he consumes his umpteenth beer and talks about the philosophy behind it.
A true story: A person I know bears a tattoo of a Native Indian (feather not dot) in some sort of generic Eurocentric war pose. The irony is that this man is largely a racist bore who feels and thinks nothing of any significance let alone an ethos behind his dismal body art.
When I inquired as to his decision behind that particular piece he responded with:
Racist Bore: I believe in them.
Me: Oh really, what do you mean (genuinely confused)
RB: You know I believe in them.
Me: (wondering if he thought that the Native Americans were mythical beings born from fiction), You know they exist in real life?
RB: Fuck you bru, I mean I believe in their lifestyles.
Me: (interested) oh what are their lifestyles about?
RB: You should know you fucking hippy.
I return to my beer as I watch the excessive belly waddle to the cooler-box as he grabs another beer with the very same arm that bears this obvious regret.
The racist bore experience is regrettable i must say. However I don’t really see why you’ve chosen to include it as part of your “story”.
Clearly the guy is a douche bag and is NOT a good representative for tattoo’s or people who have tattoo’s. A kind of dummy if you will?
And i disagree entirely with your statement on how we have only a few moments to appreciate tattoo’s before they start to look bad. I appreciate my tattoo’s every day and to be honest who cares if they don’t look good as you get older? The tattoo’d skin is still healthy skin… Seeing and old rinkly/obese person naked would be equally disgusting.
Firstly, thanks for the comment Matt.
Secondly, the point of the “story” was that it is unpleasant listening to people explain the philosophy or reasoning behind their tattoos. The ‘racist bore’ character description was included for a suitable contextual understanding, or scene setting if you will and of course for attempted humour.
My feelings will obviously differ from yours regarding tattoos as we would no doubt differ on many other opinions – but in this case more likely as you have tattoos. Differing opinions Matt, that is what makes the world such a great place.
Also do tattoos or people with tattoos really need a ‘representative’?
I think so, mainly because the type or general demographic of person who has/had tattoos in the past has changed a great deal over the last few years. Tattoo’s used to have a incredibly bad stigma due to their association with prison inmates and drunken sailors etc.
Tattoo’s have become so much more now, far more artistic and done for different reasons too.
I agree with what you said about how differing opinions makes the world a great place, but, sometimes understanding the position of someone who has tattoo’s can change ones opinions? I don’t know, i just imagine that if we were having a beer together sometime in the future i would probably feel weird about the situation. And so wanted to add my two cents. F**king LOVE the blog tho
<3
Not to be incredibly pedantic, Matt, but it’s tattoos, not tattoo’s. For some reason, it really bothered me that you have consistently used this completely superfluous apostrophe.
Also, I think you have totally missed the point of this post. In doing so, you have made yourself out to be one of those people who loves sharing his unutterably boring story behind his “meaningful” tattoo.
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Thanks Athena. Glad you liked it. Yeah permission granted. I am assuming you are not covered in some stranger’s drawings then?