Inked

Every time someone walks by with an inking (another new word!) on their skin, I can't help but wonder what brought them to it. Personally, I have never been against tattoos, although I know it is a very taboo subject for some people and I completely respect that, but when you think of it, they are really just another way to express yourself. For instance, if a friend is a musician and gets inked, nine times out of ten it's going to have something to do with music, right? Or if a close relative dies, it will probably include a symbol or name/date in honor of their passing. As for me, if I ever get one, it's definitely going to reflect my love of writing, birds and life.

"Tattoo" actually comes from "tattau" which means "to mark" in Tahitian - a fitting name for sure - and the practice has held many purposes. In Tahitian culture, such inkings were the storytellers of their wearer's life while the Romans would tattoo criminals and slaves. Such markings have represented social status, family and rank while also suggesting bravery and strength. Now, after its varied history, the majority of today's civilization treat the act of tatooing rather lightly, using them to display their past, interests and personalities. (Although toughness is definitely percieved in the process as well.)

Despite my positive opinion on these artistic ink designs, that isn't to say there are not those who take it to an entirely different level of absurdity. But that's also hard to form an opinion on since who am I to judge those who decide to do outrageous things when I know nothing of their history or reasoning? All I have to decide on is what I see for myself, and when I come across pictures of people who have tattooed their entire faces with random blotches of ink or marked up every inch of spare skin, I always feel a bit disgusted and confused. What could possibly be the purpose to such actions? In any case, I know you'll never find me doing that.

I have quite a few friends with tattoos, everything from blackberries (yes someone I know has a tattoo of a blackberry on his shoulder) to flags representing their ethnic backgrounds to intricate crosses declaring "Dedication". There are so many things to think about when you decide to get inked! First of all, what do you want? And what does it symbolize? Honestly, when I see young girls with random stars on their hips or hearts on their shoulders I question whether or not they were ready for that type of permanency. In my eyes, if you're going to inject ink into your body, even if it is only in the first millimeter of skin, it might as well contain a certain significance, eh?

In reference to the tattoo I would like to get, I've looked up lots of variations and finally decided to try and design my own. It's an old eagle (or peacock) quill writing either a favorite quote (I have yet to find the right one) or something I wrote myself, with the end of the feather seperating into individual birds and soaring off into the distance. I know this has been seen before but by designing it myself I hope to make it unique and meaningful, more likely to grow in appeal than anything else. To me the birds represent freedom of will, of choice, all coming from the quill which is being used to let out my creativity and imagination. I've given it a lot of thought and am now stuck between two locations in which to put this tattoo but will not go into it any further as I'm sure my parents are shocked enough as it is! I also got asked to come up with a sketch for my boyfriend's tattoo and have done a few drafts, although I should probably get started on that again. Thanks for the reminder!

Anyways, inking is not for everyone, and should you want to, think about it first. Tattoos are permanent (actually aren't there tools that can remove them now?) and so if you suspect that you might regret having gotten that skull and crossbones or shark-eating-a-baby (yes it does exist, google it), wait a while and see whether your interests change. I don't know if I'll ever end up getting a tat, but if I do, it's going to be something I know will never go out of style. In my mind at least.