Tattoos

I often get asked why I got my tattoos, whether it be to inquire as to what my tattoos mean or to determine why I would permanently mark my flesh, and I sometimes wonder if I really need to justify myself.

Very few things in life are 'sure', and certainly most are impermanent. The one thing that you really have with you as long as you live is you. Maybe I want more things that I get to carry with me forever.

Really, though, memories are fleeting, but I find some of them important enough to cherish forever. I guess some people would be satisfied by writing it down, but there's something kind of cathartic about having an hour, or a few hours, of numb tingling as you really reflect on why you chose that particular thing to live with you. My first tattoo commemorates my grandmother, but in a way that most people would not get. It's a memory I have, of her pointing out birds to me. For whatever reason, her identifying a red-winged blackbird to me stayed in the back of my head for years, but the idea of losing the memory was much more frightening than attaching it to me 'permanently'.

People talk about your body being 'your temple', but I think if you had a temple without any personal touches it would be kind of vacant. I don't necessarily encourage anyone to get any tattoo, because yes, your body is precious, and regrettably, people will judge you, but if what you want to get feels important, interesting, or just worth the money, why not?

Is it necessary to really care what it's going to look like when you're 70? I can't imagine most of my skin is going to look that great, so why would one patch having blurred color upset me any more than having signs of age? Memories blur and distort over time as well.

Some people also argue that because our preferences change over time, a tattoo you might initially like will become a reminder of your terrible taste as a teenager or young adult. I see it differently, however, because I think if you choose your tattoo carefully, or even poorly, you could look at it instead as a reminder of a different time in your life, a celebration of youthful joy.

Clearly this can't really apply to 'gang' tattoos, but if you grow to regret them (which may be a good thing), it could teach you to be more careful and perhaps consider the choices you make in the future.

As it is, I don't imagine ever being sad or regretting my tattoos, because they have become a part of me, and have taught me to cherish my memories and commemorate their importance permanently. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.