When I was growing up, tattoos were for sailors, bikers, and ex-cons. Since moving to Bakersfield 4 years ago, I was ever amazed at the number of ordinary people sporting tattoos in every conceivable place on their body. Check out clerk at the grocery store? Large tattoo of a flaming skull peeking out from under her shirt sleeve. Soccer mom in her SUV? A dainty little flower on her ankle. My personal favorite is the guy who has 'Oildale' tattooed across the back of his neck. Oildale is this town's 'wrong side of the tracks' neighborhood. His welfare money probably came just in time to get that piece of artwork!
While I appreciate some of the artwork that goes into a tattoo, I just wonder what happens when some of the kids that have tattoos over large portions of their bodies do when the time comes to get out there and get a real serious money making job. Would you really want your child's kindergarten teacher to have a huge snake slithering down her forearm? How about the doctor who is going to deliver your baby? Love tattooed on one knuckle and hate on the other?
I also wonder how these tattoos will look 50 years from now, will the senior citizen in the nursing home who doesn't have a tattoo be made fun of by all the other seniors?
And not to mention the expense of a tattoo. Can't pay your rent this month, but, damn, your new tat looks really cool! My stepdaughter's car broke down and needs repairs, but first, she wants a huge new tattoo on her back. And then when she can't pay the repair bill, who will she call for a loan? Hello, Dad?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for self-expression and you can do whatever you want with your own body. I just kind of have to laugh at the non-conformists who conform so well with whatever is in style today. Just like when I was growing up in the 60's. Hey, man, all us groovy people are wearing love beads, letting our hair grow long, and wearing funky thrift store clothes. Look at what individualists we are!
Okay, enough about tattoos, more about kittens in my next post.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I got a tattoo right before everybody started doing it, about 12 years ago. It is a ring of roses around my ankle and basically it was a divorce tattoo, very cleansing in a weird kind of way.
Now I'm kind of disappointed that it's not unique anymore. :)
I'm also hoping that not too much will happen to my ankle with age!! :)
I think I agree with you there. By the way, you have been tagged by me - quite by random chance, actually. Do with it what you will; it is just a blog experiment I am doing.
Nice blog, by the way.
Jeff
at
Psychosomatic Wit
Post a Comment