The closest I ever came to getting a tattoo was during a stupid, drunken night with two friends wandering from bar to bar in the Ville some time in mid-80s Songtan, Korea. I was proof positive that youth was wasted on the young at that time (a sentiment that most of us sexagenarians probably believe when we look back on our more regretful episodes).
Fortunately for me, the proprietor took one look at the three of us and knew better.
And I’m incredibly glad for that. Thing is, at that time, having a tattoo would have meant something more than the story it told. It would have signified a degree of rebellion and maybe a seedier side of its wearer. Or (as would have been the case with me), a moment of extreme stupidity and bad judgement. Tattoos are (semi-) permanent. They fade. As they age, they don’t look nearly as vivid and colorful as they used to look. When I see a 30- or 40-year-old tattoo, I kind of know what to expect, both of the tattoo and maybe even the person. Not that they’re bad or anything – more that you can read a bit of the life the wearer led and where they were at a younger time (my best friend of nearly 50 years, whom I deeply love and respect to this day, has tattoos).
The weather is warming here now, so of course, the opportunity to see tattoos that have been covered for the winter has suddenly spiked. Over time, I’ve seen the trends, but today it was even more apparent. It seems that tattoos are no longer a symbol of rebellion for most of their wearers. As a matter of fact, I’m seeing them now as a sign of a herd mentality. Yeah, “self-expression.” I get it. But I can’t help but think, “Just what will this ‘self-expression’ look like in 30 years?” And even more so, “If everyone has a tattoo, where is the ‘wild-side’ that they used to show us?” Is everyone “wild at heart” now?
No. I don’t think so. I’m more inclined to think that today’s tattoo-wearers are short-sighted conformists who get tattoos just because everyone else did (especially in the last five years or so). The overwhelming majority of people I saw today as I was going for a lunchtime walk had visible tattoos. And most of them were women. I’m not being hyperbolic here – there was a stretch where I’d say about 9 out of every 10 women I saw with exposed arms and legs were showing tattoos. Fewer men (maybe half), but theirs were usually more elaborate and involved (sleeves covering entire limbs, for example).
I’ll admit, some of the tattoos I am seeing are absolutely gorgeous and fascinating. And they are the top (pretty much only) conversation starter for me with total strangers (I’m terrible when it comes to striking up conversations with stranger, but love opening with “what does that mean?” about their tattoos). But honestly, it’s getting harder to find anything truly unique and beautiful anymore.
Now, does this mean I’m right? Not at all. This is obviously my opinion. But I’m just working the long game here. There are plenty of 30-, 40-, 50-year-old tattoos out there that really don’t mean a lot to their owners anymore. They’ve got other things on their minds now, and I’d venture to say that their ink is an afterthought at best and perhaps an all-out regret (or at least a painful reminder) at worst.
I would also think now that lost opportunities from tattoos are dwindling as more people get them. As they become more socially acceptable and ubiquitous, they become less of the disqualifying factors they may have been in the past. Still, while I think Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” Is a beautiful work of art, I wouldn’t want to see it every day for the rest of my life.