Meerkat Prompts: Tattoos
When I was in my early twenties – some two decades ago now! – I never thought I would wind up with a tattoo. The act of letting someone repeatedly pierce your skin with a needle, firing ink into your flesh to leave a permanent feature on your body… I can’t say the idea was seriously on my radar. That changed around ten or so years ago, when I was persuaded to get my daughter’s name tattooed on my arm. Once I had done this, I found myself weirdly attracted to the idea, and would get a second tattoo soon after, this time about Star Trek.
Down the years I have ended up with a grand total of seven tattoos, at the time of this post. Each represents something of meaning and enjoyment to me. There is Timon, there is a question block from the original Super Mario Bros game, I have a lightsaber, a Legend of Zelda tattoo inspired by Breath of the Wild, and finally, I have Scrooge McDuck from the 2017 DuckTales reboot.
I am immensely proud of all of them, and I have a desire to get more. The pain is not an issue, though yes, tattoos do hurt, and they can feel uncomfortable for a few days afterwards. The single biggest factor is money! Tattoos are not particularly cheap, even for something relatively simple, so if you are considering one, be sure to bear that in mind. As for the pain, placement tends to drive that. All my tattoos are on my arms, and on the fleshier bits at that, but I am told tattoos on bonier points hurt more.
What I admire about tattoos is that they truly are art. They are not for everyone, for various reasons, but those who want them can use them in wonderfully expressive ways. The body becomes a canvas, and the tattooist is the painter. The talent required to do a tattoo and do it well is something I find quite envious! The design also reflects upon the person being tattooed. People are always thinking of new, imaginative ideas for tattoos, and I would like to think some of mine are pretty unique!
The question I currently face is ‘what to do for tattoo number eight?’ I have a number of ideas in mind, including some relating to Formula 1, and some relating to Sonic the Hedgehog, but for me, a tattoo is a carefully considered decision. After all, they are permanent, and expensive! I doubt I will ever impulsively wander in to a tattoo parlour and choose something, there and then. That’s my personal philosophy with tattoos, but each to their own. I would always caution, um, caution, but everyone has to make their own choices as to why, how, and where they get a tattoo!
