Things I Wonder About Tattoos

Last weekend we took the family to see Blues Traveler and Chris Isaak in concert. Blues Traveler just about did us in with the harmonica/guitar jams. We've definitely had our harmonica fix for the next couple of years. They jammed for so long that our eleven-year-old was begging us to go home. He'd had enough. Finally they finished and Chris Isaak took the stage in his red suit with flames and his fantastic voice and we were all fine. He's really good.

The entire evening gave us lots of time to watch people. And there were definitely some interesting ones. I found myself wondering about tattoos. And there was a lot to wonder about. Tattoos were all around us.

If you have any answers to my questions, please let me know. I'm genuinely curious.

What happens to a tattoo when a person gains or loses weight? Is it like a picture on a balloon that stretches out as the balloon is blown up? When a person loses weight, does the tattoo hang there all softy and wrinkly?

Should people color-coordinate their clothing with their tattoos? I saw a few pretty stylish women whose clothing clashed badly with the colors of their tattoos. I also saw one woman whose sundress coordinated with her tattoo so perfectly that I think it had to be intentional.

Why on skin? Some tattoos are pretty impressive works of art. One woman had her entire right arm and onto her back (and most of her back was visible) tattooed in a really beautiful graphic design of curlicues and flowers. I wished I had a bedspread or a throw pillow in that pattern. It would even look great on wallpaper if it was the right kind of room. But on your skin? Forever?

I wondered if some guys were aware that tattoos can only do so much to hide back and shoulder acne. There were a few guys in wife-beaters with tattoos, but I could still see their back acne. It wasn't a good combination and they'd have been better off wearing a shirt.

I don't understand tattooed words. Some words have different meanings now than they did years ago. Language evolves and little quotes often mean different things to us at different times in our lives. It seems a little risky to write words on the canvas of your body that might not mean the same thing to us (or anyone else) ten years down the road.

I marvel at the level of commitment these people have to words or a design. Styles change. Most of us aren't wearing the same clothes we wore ten years ago. Some of our tastes and attitudes change. We often change the homes we live in. Some even change spouses. And yet, they are totally and completely committed to a phrase, a design or a picture. Aren't they worried they'll get tired of it?

And finally, skin (an appropriate amount of it) is beautiful. Some of the uncluttered skin I saw after looking at so many tattoos, looked so pretty. And it matched everything.

Comments

Kristi said…
I liked this post, but that is coming from an untatted person. I have no answers for you on the questions. I have wondered about some of them myself.

I do enjoy people watching though. It sounds like you had a similar experience as ours at the monster truck show. I saw way more skin than I wanted to.
Anonymous said…
My personal feelings are...and I emphasize personal, tattoos are just plain ugly! I have never seen a beautiful tattoo...ever! I feel bad for people who get tattoos on a whim and then they get to "enjoy" them...or not, for the rest of their lives. I truly do feel sorry for them. LMH
tattoos designs said…
you have mentioned very strange things about tattoos designs , mostly people do not think like this