The Blog Less Traveled

I’ve never been a real fan of people that wear tattoos. For the most part, it seems like an attempt to garner attention. In particular, those with a large portion of their bodies tattooed seem to scream, “Look at me!” Others seem to do it as a novelty or to be cool and hip. There is also the full range of tattoos from tasteful to totally tasteless.

Last night, I was watching a TV show on The Learning Channel (TLC) called Miami Ink. It’s a show about a tattoo parlor in Miami, Florida. The show follows the daily experiences of its tattoo artists and the customers that come in to get tattooed. I have to admit, some of the tattoos that are created are truly artistic. The quality and realism of some of them really leap off the skin. From a purely artistic point of view, some of the workers are exceptionally gifted. Their craft really shows.

What has made me change my mind concerning tattoos is listening to some of the reasons that people are giving for their decision. For some, it’s a way of memorializing a friend or loved one. For others, it’s to commemorate a significant or memorable event in their lives. Last night’s show featured a young lady who was getting a tattoo of a piece of Kryptonite with the name Ivan stenciled below it. Ivan is her brother who is severely handicapped and is probably not going to live much longer. He is a big fan of Superman and she wanted to get the tattoo to always have a little something to remember her brother by. If I had seen that tattoo on her without knowing the story behind it, I probably would have thought it was stupid. There was another person, a pastor, who got a picture of a Phoenix on his chest and arm. He had been close to dying due to a medical misdiagnosis, but has since recovered. The Phoenix was a symbol to him that he was getting another chance at life, rising from the ashes, if you will. Again, had I not known the story behind it, I would have probably thought it a foolish display.

So there you have it. Sometimes what you initially perceive about an individual may be misguided. People have many different ways of dealing with events in their lives. For some, a tattoo is a sincere expression of their love or respect for someone or something. Try and factor that in the next time you meet someone. I sure will try.