Life is Funny

Before I explain why, let me tell you this one simple fact.

90% of the people who get their first tattoo, end up getting a 2nd, then a 3rd, then a 4th… By the time they are on their 5th tattoo, they usually begin thinking that 1 of the 5 tattoos already on their body isn’t quite as important anymore and they begin wishing they didn’t get it that particular tattoo.

So the 6th thing they do, is either look for a tattoo to be modified, or erased.  But erasing leaves scar tissue and isn’t as easy as it sounds.

When someone gets a tattoo, very rarely do they think about it for 2 years ahead of time, and then make the decision to do it. Like any “major” purchase in our lives, we usually get the idea one day, we entertain the thought. We talk about it with friends and family and we fantasize about it over 2 or 3 months. Eventually we can’t get it out of our mind anymore, and we give in and get it done.

Once the tattoo is done, we’re proud of it. We want to show it off to everyone. We eagerly run up to people and say “hey! Did you see my tattoo yet?”  When you look in the mirror, you admire yourself. Wow, I’m a different person now! I have this tattoo I wanted so bad.  I am the new and improved me.\

You find opportunities to show off the tattoo in public. You try and watch people’s eyes dart down to the tattoo and you smile when you catch them looking at it. Having a tattoo is a big deal for yourself, and how everyone perceives you.

Everything is great!

AND THEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS! WAIT A MINUTE! I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT!

1) You didn’t think that the band name you loved so much became unpopular in everyone’s eyes. What’s that, you were in the 80’s and had Minnie Vanelli, or Michael Jackson tattoos that people laugh at today?  This could happen with ANY band, at any time in the future. Remember the Bay City Rollers and other bands now that no one talks about very much?

2) You didn’t think that your 5 year relationship or marriage would come back to haunt you 10 years later everytime you look in the mirror. Oh darn, time to get that name off my body, because the new person in my life hates it.

3) Oh, its so cool to have the vines or barbed wire around the upper arm.  But now too many people are doing it, and now you feel like nothing but a silly follower. The uniqueness of your tattoo is so lame, that you might as well have tattooed the phrase “I’m another loser with a stupid tattoo”

4) Ahh, the chinese symbols. That’s the new thing. Want to know why it is lasting so long? Because there are so many symbols, it gives you the feeling that your tattoo is different. This will work as long as we keep inking ourselves with chinese symbols to the point that we all have them. Then one day we’ll wake up and realize that we look like a bunch of chinese teenagers ran around and sprayed graffiti on all of us… You are so “owned” now, its not funny.

5) How about tattoos of cartoon characters or video game characters? How about getting the Mario brothers tattooed on your neck?  How about donkey kong? Sure, these are old classics, but you don’t look too cool 10 years after the games aren’t played anymore.

It’s quite simple:

NEVER get a tattoo that is cool today, and may not be cool in 5 or 10 years when things change. Put some real thought into this.. 

NEVER get a tattoo that seems to be popular with everyone (like barbed wire / vines above the bicep). Eventually too many people will get it, and you’ll look like a stupid follower when the fad wears off

NEVER get a tattoo of a person’s name. There are plenty of ways to remember of honor someone without having their name inked on your body. Find a more creative way to show that you care..  You will have a few dozen people in your life  be important to you and lost at one point or another. Does this mean that you will tattoo 36 people on your body?  What happens if you only tattoo 3 and if you don’t tattoo the 4th name, you look like you didn’t care about that 4th person? It starts a stupid vicious cycle.

NEVER get a tattoo if you think you are going to stop at one tattoo or two.  THAT RARELY happens, and your not something special. Even those of us who feel special, they still fall victim to the same thing that everyone else does..

NEVER get a tattoo on a body part that cannot be hidden when wearing dress clothes for a job interview, a wedding, etc.  Tattoos should be able to be displayed when you want to do that — and hidden when you also want to do that.  Putting them on your neck, hands, face, because you’re brave and all attitude today will quickly change when no one wants to hire you anymore, or your socially an outcast in your retirement years.  Don’t put yourself in this position. A tattoo should not be seen as more important that living a healthy and fruitful life in society.  (And if you don’t care about society, then don’t be a part of it. Move off to the middle of the forest somewhere, or a remote island and be happy there. )

The whole concept of Tattoos brings a lot of discussion to the table. Some of these these points you may see value in, other ones, you may simply not care.

But the point is — if you ever think about getting a tattoo of something, and it plays on your mind for 2 or 3 months, and you give in and do it, then you’re selling yourself out.

A major change to your body should never happen quickly, or spur of the moment, because no matter what I say, you’ll eventually have regrets later on in life. Maybe you don’t see it today, but I bet you will eventually.

Good luck to you.