Some thoughts on tattoos

I sometimes entertain myself by looking at stranger's profiles on MySpace™. The same sort of thing one does when commuting on a crowded bus. You look around, wonder about why people put on the public faces they do, hypothesize about what they're really like. It's just a game. Since I've retired, I don't ride buses and trains very much, anymore, and mission-shopping at grocery and department stores doesn't provide as many opportunities for that kind of entertainment.

One of the things I often wonder about is tattoos. Lots of folks on MySpace™ seem inordinately proud of their "Tats," as they call them. When I was a kid (under 12), I wanted a couple of tattoos myself. Both sides of the Great Seal of the United States would have been depicted. One side on each upper arm. I didn't have the kind of parents, however, that would have allowed me to do that, at that point in my life. My views on tattoos have changed substantially since then.

Tattoos are fundamentally just graffiti. The only characteristic distinguishing them from other kinds of graffiti, is the canvas on which they are drawn. Graffiti is not necessarily always a bad thing. It can be art. If a tattoo is designed to please the viewer as well as the wearer, it might qualify as art.

My reaction to tattoos as a whole is pretty neutral, but I like art. Even art, though, should respect the nature of the canvas, and tattoos which obscure the natural beauty of the human canvas are simply defacement. A tattoo, to be art, should not attack the eye: it should instead adorn the body. Like jewelry and makeup.

A tattoo should be small, so as not to dominate the impression its wearer makes upon others. A person is more than his/her tattoos (we hope!). It should be pleasing to the eye. A tattoo depicting ugliness, or covering huge amounts of skin area, detracts from the overall beauty of the owner, often signifying low self-esteem. A tattoo designed to offend is pretty much guaranteed to work as designed. Unless you want to spend your entire life at war with everyone around you, it's not a good idea to incorporate profanity in a visible tattoo. Come to think of it, even if that is what you want, it's still a bad idea.

These days, getting a tattoo is not as irreversible as it formerly was, but it's still not easy to get rid of one you had done in a moment of irrationality. If you must get one, think about the impact that having it is going to have on the rest of your life. My advice (even though you didn't ask!) is that you not do it, but if you do it anyway, keep it small. Keep it pretty. Have it placed where it is normally covered by clothing, especially if it depicts intimate or sensual ideas.

Having visible tattoos changes the way people think about you, and usually has a negative impact on relationships that are important; like employers, parents, your significant other's parents, etc. If you made a mistake about the content or placement of a particular tattoo, you should seriously consider having it removed or altered. It'll make your life a lot easier, and eventually, if you live long enough, that will be important to you.