what I think of Tattoos!

I have written mental commentaries for many years.  Politics - local, provincial and federal; current events, social trends, stupidity, the subjects of my rants go on and on.  When I conceptualized this blog my purpose was to give print to my histrionics.  However, I write what my muse dictates and most have been common interest and family snip its.

tattooed woman 1907 USA

 Today my subject is tattoos and tattooing.  While scrolling through the Facebook ticker a saw the comment a friend of mine made in response to an article on tattooing.    I am not a fan of tattoos; in my day and age tattoos were for low lives, sailors, people who were incarcerated, and prison camp survivors.  But this is not my day and age.  Now 12% of the Canadian population has a tattoo, and most have more than one.

Two beautiful female acquaintances of mine have lovely, colourful floral works of body art. A Facebook friend sports a sleeve; my brother Bruce has several tats, as does my nephew Ash (who responded to the advance notice of this blog with “what is wrong with tattoos?”)  

I believe to understand any subject we must first know the history.  From Wikipedia, A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, "tattoo" (or Samoan "Tatau") appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour in 1769: "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humour or disposition".

 Many tribes of the world have been tattooing since the beginning of mankind.  In those cases the tattoo served to mark a tribe or denote a rank.  When someone opts to tattoo in 2012 is it for that reason? I think not. Today most choose tattoos as Body art or for a political statement.  In that vein there are three beliefs that forbid tattooing; Islam, Mormons and Jews. 

I have never wanted a tattoo.  However I have never wanted gel nails, hair extensions or a bikini wax.  Why would I have the right to pass judgment on what someone else chooses to do?  Yet many of the people my age are not only negative about tattooing but feel free to verbalize their displeasure.  Perhaps my tattooed friends regard my fat belly with as much revulsion as I might feel towards their tattoo.

 A few years ago I started a conversation with a young man while we waited for the subway at the Younge Station in Toronto.  The man had bandages on his forehead and in true Mother form I inquired about his injury.   He told me that when he was in high school he was very angry and had FUCK the world tattooed on his forehead.  Now, ten years later, he had a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering but could not get a job.

 I will probably never get a tattoo; for one thing Steve would have a fit. But I will be happy for you with yours.  Choose well, you shall have that tattoo always.  It might not be as pretty when you get old and wrinkled but I am sure you have considered all those options.

We do live in a free society.  You are free to make what choices you want that only affect you personally.  I may not agree with your choices, but I will defend your right to choose.  And no one asked me what I think of Tattoos!