Written by Deborah Jordaan
Good day to all the beautiful souls in the land of literature. I hope to find all of you are well. Today I am writing on a controversial subject – Tattoos.
We all have them or know someone who has tattoos. Years ago it was a taboo subject and people with tattoos were convicts or drug addicts.
This is not my opinion it is based on what I hear from people. I myself am a “colouring book”, this is a phrase that people use to judge tattooed people.
Have these people ever thought why some of us wear body art? I am not a criminal or anything else but me. Body art is in general an expression of either the emotional or artistic preferences of the individual.
My reason for my body art is my negative feelings toward my body so I cover it to make it easier to face myself in the mirror and also to celebrate my milestones.
I also celebrate my close family in life and in passing, also my parents by putting a permanent memory of them on my body. No one can steal that, it is not a material possession.
Some people tattoo a medical condition on their body so that if they are found in an unconscious state –so that the paramedics are aware of the condition.
People always seem to have opinions regarding tattooed people, but look at your doctors and other professionals and you will see them with a tattoo. We all celebrate our milestones in different ways.
An opinion of a non-tattooed person I know would be that the person with tattoos is someone just expressing themselves.
They are people just like them. A tattooed mother is still a mother, a wife, a daughter and a functional human being celebrating her own inner values on her body.
Women that have scars from any illness have put tattoos on their bodies to celebrate that they are still alive. The colourful tattoos they put on their bodies are a reminder of what they went through and where they are now.
Pier pressure could influence young people to do “homemade tattoos at a friends house” which I wouldnt agree with but it`s been done – each to his own philosophy.
The words of my partner are, “If I had the power I would tattoo every politician with a smoking, crashing, burning jet plane to remind them of the stupidity of war.”
A tattoo at twenty years old and a tattoo in further years will be different because ideals have changed. When choosing a tattoo my opinion is that you don`t take a picture off the internet and use the exact picture.
Personalise it to your liking even if it is the same subject, make it your own. Not one of my tattoos will be found from a random picture because I also take it off the internet but I create one tattoo from about five ideas and make it mine.
My cousin is a tattoo artist and has told me that when people come to her that are addicts she talks to them and tries to convince them not to have a tattoo till they are sober and can think straight. She has helped many people by having her moral values.
Once the ink hits your skin there is no turning back. Remember taking care of your tattoo is just as important. Aftercare is key. So in my parting words I say, enjoy your body art and think responsibly before you do your next tattoo. It’s permanent.
To those that are not tattooed, next time you see a tattooed person stop and tell them if you like the tattoo and ask them what it’s about. Every tattoo in general has a story.
Be blessed till we meet again.