Do You Have A Tattoo?!? If So, Why?!?

No need to kid myself, I'm officially old. I crossed the 40 year threshold a month or so ago. I don't feel old. I don't look old (I still get carded on rare occasions!). But I definitely think old. No doubt about that.[1]

Today at the gym, I saw something that definitely puzzled me. Some young(er) guy, let's say he was in his late 20's, was on the elliptical in front of me. He's wearing a tank top of some sort. I'm (obviously) not checking the guy out, but when you're on a elliptical machine, there's not much else to look at beyond what's immediately in front of you. And I observe that this guy appears to have an elaborate Grim Reaper tattoo that covers his entire back. I mean, it looks like the sort of thing I'd imagine a tattoo artist (is that what they're called?) spent several hours and charged this guy several hundred dollars to complete.

And then I wonder, if it's on this guy's back, what exactly is the point? You spent $900 to put something on your back where you'll never even see it. Who exactly is supposed to see it, other than people on the elliptical machine behind you at the gym? If you're trying to show your dedication to the cause (the cause being Grim Reapers?) shouldn't you have this monstrosity on your chest? Do people hang American flags in their backyard on the 4th of July? I think not.

And then I wondered, what exactly is the point of getting tatted anyway?

I just don't think there are enough things important enough for me to permanently ink on my body. I love my family, but I show my dedication to them by paying the rent being there. I love God, but I think he'd rather see my dedication in less public fashion. I don't feel the need to inform the rest of the world what fraternity, sports team, city, biblical scripture, or frozen confection I prefer by having it etched in my epidermis.

Again, here's where I admit my generational ignorance. If I were twentysomething and everyone else was doing it I probably still wouldn't do it would probably get one, just because. But when I was twentysomething, getting tatted was such a rarity that those who had them did so to express their individuality and as a rebellious gesture to society. Today, everyone, their mother, and their mother's mother (many of whom are my age) has a tattoo? Who exactly are you rebelling against? How have you be expressing your individuality when you're doing the same thing everyone else is doing?

Seems to me, the rebellious, individualistic thing to do would be to not get tatted at all. amirite?

If you're thinking about getting a tatt, go visit this site and look at some of the other Dumb Tattoos up there. I'm just sayin', think about it first. I'm not crazy about this latest spate of laws by cities instituting a 24 hour waiting period before getting inked, but maybe it'll help dissuade someone.

Permanent is forever. Is anything really that important to you? ionno.

Question: Are you tatted up? Where? Why? Do you think you'll regret this something, assuming you already don't?

[1] I've probably written this post, or a similar take on this topic before. But I'm too lazy to dig it up, so whatever. #ThisIs40