My Opinion on Tattoos - Essay Example

Autoethnography Essay on Tattoos Even as a child I have always been amazed at seeing people with tattoos. I envied the teenage boys in our neighborhood who have tattoos of snakes, dragons and all sorts of art designs on their arms. I just love seeing those varied designs and colors on someone else’s body. I thought, when I grow up I’m going to have one of those tattoos. Back then, I was not aware that having a tattoo also had its disadvantages. For me it was simply an appreciation for art. It was like having your own art studio with you all the time! It was the coolest thing for me. Finally, the much awaited day came. I was all grown-up and “licensed” to have a tattoo of my own. While I was on vacation in Las Vegas, I went to Hart and Huntington Ink, a tattoo art studio in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. I had two tattoos made, one in each forearm. One forearm has the word “strength” written on it and on the other forearm, “honor” was written. I realized on that day that having a tattoo means having to undergo pain. It was painful! But that is the price one pays if he wants to be “artistic”. When I came back from my vacation I felt I was now a “real man” with real tattoos. But my parents thought otherwise. They were surprised to see the tattoos and got really mad at me. They said that I look so dirty and that people will mistake me as being an ex-convict, a drug addict and a gang member. They also warned me not to go anywhere near my grandparents else they suffer a heart attack. My younger brother thought it was so cool and told me he could not wait to get his own. When I went to visit my girlfriend that evening, she admired it. She said that I looked manlier now and that she was more attracted to me more than ever. She wished though that the next time I get one, I will have her name written on my chest. The following day at school, my teachers saw my tattoo and asked me if I just joined a gang. My friends however thought that it was very nice. So here I am all proud at having a tattoo yet I get different reactions from people closest to me. I was confronted with the problem of being stereotyped as a either a criminal or a macho man just because I have a tattoo. After graduation on my trip to Fruitland Idaho, I had another tattoo done on my arm sleeve at Angels Ink, a tattoo studio. This time I was more daring and had an angel, the Virgin Mary, a cross and a sparrow design. This tattoo hurt the most. I don’t know why but it may be because the person doing it was not really careful and he does not seem to mind whether I was suffering excruciating pain. All he wants is to get the tattoo done right away so he can attend to his other customers. Seeing these new tattoos, my parents were more outrageous this time. They said that it would be impossible for me to land a job if I have a tattoo. They said that companies do not accept men with tattoos because they have the impression that people with tattoos are violent and irresponsible. I was shocked at the very harsh words hurled to me by my parents just because of a tattoo. I thought, what harm can a tattoo do to a company’s profitability? The week after my family had a family reunion since it was the 85th birthday of my grandmother. I wore a T-shirt which flaunted all my tattoos. My parents wanted me to put a jacket on so that my other relatives would not see my tattoos. But when we arrived at my grandparents’ house, I had to remove my jacket because it was so warm. And lo and behold, my grandparents, aunties and uncles were stunned to see my “artwork”. My grandmother reprimanded my parents for allowing me to have tattoos. She said that it was a disgusting site and that it was bad for the reputation of the family. My auntie asked me since when did I become a hippie. But of course, my teenaged cousins marveled at them. They asked questions on whether it was painful, where I got it and how did I choose the designs. There was indeed a myriad of reactions for my tattoos. Instead of my grandmother being the center of the celebration, I became the star of the show. Having a tattoo was not really a hindrance to getting a job. I always wore a coat and tie when applying for a job so my tattoos were nowhere in sight. I landed a job as a salesman and proudly told my parents that the tattoo did not get in the way. I pointed out to them that they were wrong about the impressions of people on tattoos. I must say though that sometimes I do get some strange glances from people who see my tattoo. Once while I was in line in a supermarket, two elderly couples moved away from my line to go to another lane. They looked at me as though I was going to harass, rob or maybe even murder them. Just seeing my tattoos made them jittery. That reaction was the complete opposite of the reactions I get when I am in the beach or in clubs. In those places, a tattoo was more of a norm rather than an exception. Almost everyone has a tattoo, that you will be an outcast if you don’t have one. I really don’t understand what is the mystery behind a tattoo that it generates varied reactions from people. They either like it or they don’t. But as for me, a tattoo is part of my identity. I love having it. Nothing and no one can stop me from getting another one. I do not care what my family or friends say about it, what is important is it makes me feel good. For me a tattoo is not a taboo! Read More