Tattoo you…

Would I get a tattoo? No. Why not? It wouldn’t suit me – some people, in my opinion, look dumb with tatts. Me – a short, chunky, pasty looking woman with a tatt? Hmmm, no. I would look better with Spock ears than with a tatt. No, not thinking of committing myself to those either, at this stage. Beside I think forcing ink into your skin is not natural. I mean I always get pissed when I get ink on my hands at work. It would piss me off no end to be forever inked. I have also discovered I am quite a sexist in the fact that I think men look great with tatts whereas I don’t think a lot of women do. Mmmm, men with tatts….but I digress…why have I come to these lofty conclusions? Well when I was away down in Melbourne I watched this show called – LA Ink – never watch TV at home - it was all about tattoo artists. I found it utterly fascinating and I went from thinking tattoos were some weird arsed form of rebellion to tatts having great meaning in someone’s life. See? Travel does broaden ones horizons and room service is golden.

Well duh, you say – everyone knows that about room service and as for tatts - yes traditionally ancient cultures have always used tattooing as a form of spiritual and familial identification. They defined a person or people as one. But I guess I always viewed tatts as a need to rebel and to stand out – to be different – and there’s nothing wrong with that but why ruin your skin because let’s face it a tattoo is for life. Yes, you can have them lasered off but your skin never looks that same. So, back to the show – I became quite interested in the reasons people were having tatts done. It was all about ‘the place’ they were in life. They wanted to mark that, celebrate it or just remember what it took to get them where they were. That had never really occurred to me – yes, I am as sensitive as a sledgehammer. Anyway I listened to these stories and realized each tattoo had a purpose and that these people needed them to move on in life. It was most interesting – not enough for me to get a tatt – it is ‘literally’ wearing your heart on your sleeve and I don’t do that.

And the tattoo artists – my god – how talented are they? They turn a sketch on a paper into the most amazing three dimensional pieces of artwork. Just incredible and any half arsed stereotypical ideas I had about tatts were blown out the window. Women with tatts – still not sure about that but then it’s got nothing to do with me and it’s about the individual and what the image on their skin means to them – I applaud that. It’s quiet courageous putting your thoughts out there for everyone to see.

Check the show out here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c08auIRzI74

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Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?