The gym is a great or not so great venue to view the latest in body art, namely, tattoos or "tats." Lately, I've been spending some time in the gym and thus spending time shielding my disbelieving eyes from the ink assault on the body. And this reaction is from the tattoos I can see. What ink-stained horrors lurk beneath the warm-ups? One can only imagine.
Why tattoos? Why deface skin with permanent colored ink? My guess is that through the display of one or several tattoos, the wearer wants to convey something to whomever wants to look (similar to the message T-shirt phenomenon). But I ask in return, for an example, what message would I convey to my audience if I had a full bodied and in ecstasy pose of Our Lady Of Guadalupe image "tat" on my upper arm? That Our Lady has my arm, if not, my back? If so, I think I would like to keep that a secret between Our Lady and me. But that's just me. You see, I'm old school and having a tattoo anywhere on my body just isn't necessary or life-giving for me. In addition, why would I endure the pain for something so expensive, frivolous yet everlasting. Simply, I don't want to turn my body into a walking fleshy advertisement for whatever "turns my crank" fleeting thought. However, placing all of my personal bias and hang-ups aside, "tat" appeal is growing and seems to be boundless. It's effect can be seen across the oceans and on the exposed and no-so-exposed skin of the walking wounded.
I kinda understand the permanent ink culture on the usual eccentric suspects: certified bad ass-Chuck Liddell, football player-Jeremy Shockey, basketball player-Lebron, bizarre women-Angelina, boxers/excons-Iron Mike Tyson, rockers-Keith Richards, drunk sailor-Luther Billis. What I don't understand are: the "tramp stamp" variety tattoo on attractive women, the "smear job" tattoo on young high school and college kids, and then there is the "headscratcher say what" tattoo on an older and retired person who should know better but doesn't.
On a recent visit to the gym, I was minding my own business at the swimming pool and noticed an older man with an emboldened "tat" waisthigh backside who fit the above tattoo label of the "headscratcher say what" variety. Not wearing my glasses, the words appeared quite blurry but I was curious. I inched carefully and stealthfully closer from behind and zeroed in on the 1" high bold triple strike block letters directly above his butt, which read:
LIFE IS MY CRUXIFIXION.
I scratched my head and internally asked, "say what?" Talk about a tattoo that said nothing but yet said everything. What does this mean? and right above his ass?? I was dumbfounded. I could not even compose myself to ask the author, why this message? I fled the gym flummoxed. For days after, I randomly thought about that "message" and arrived at various conclusions. It ran the full range of: he's just an embittered hopeless old misanthrope who hated life and people, to a man who fancied himself to be a sacrificial lamb of sorts who took up his daily cross alone but was damned determined to tell people what he felt and thought from his behind.
As fate would have it, a few weeks later, I again saw the elderly man with the waistline "message". As he was leaving the gym, I introduced myself. I asked him awkwardly, prefacing it by stating "I'm not a deviant or a pervert but ...I saw you in the shower room earlier and noticed your block letter tattoo on your lower back. I'm curious, what does that mean to you?" Without missing a beat and with our eyes locked on one another, he replied, "it is what it is and the next tattoo I get will go right above it." Almost begging for me to ask what the next tattoo will be, I took the bait and haltingly asked, "what will that be?" Again, he riposted with conviction and a sense of pride:
"GOLGOTHA IS MY DESTINY."
"You can't be serious?" remembering John McEnroe's famous line. I instantly heard that eerie musical leitmotif from Rod Serling's '60s TV show, The Twilight Zone, in my head. Our eyes transfixed on each other for what seemed like minutes yet seconds revealed something even stranger than the "tats". "Do you know about Golgotha?", he asked. I'm thinking...I'm in the gym and someone is asking me about Golgatha, unbelievable moment but then again, I started all this conversation. "Yes, it's where Jesus was crucified, also known as Calvary or Skull Place", I replied relying on my 3rd grade Baltimore Cathecism lessons. He half-smiled. Thankfully, we concluded our short chat, when the old man declared, "Yeah, my wife thinks I'm crazy", and ambled away very carefree...like a child. Huh?
So, what does all this mean? Nothing really. Tattoos are a form of self-expression that elicits some reaction from the viewer. It works for some and not for others. What I learned from my own curiousity about the tattoo world is: to look and not to think and definitely don't ask.
Funniest one yet. I can just imagine you doing this. When will you just stop being so curious?
ReplyDeleteWell, what to say :) As one of the obviously insane "tat" wearers, I find your pious tone a bit judgemental. I feel to blanket an entire group of ink bearers is pretty narrow minded. You see I have two tatoos (at the moment) and neither were or are "walking fleshy advertisements for whatever turns my crank fleeting thoughts."
ReplyDeleteI would certainly consider myself to be in the "old school" camp. I don't think that lines of (w)right and wrong, old school/new school, can be drawn by a personal choice. My tattoos don't make me who I am.
The first tatoo I got is of my family crest, yours as well :) The second is of an Irish cross. Now both are conceled for 95% of the time I roam this earth. The point was not to elicit response from anyone. They both are constant reminders for me of where I came from, what I believe and all those that have sacrificed to get me where I am.
While I do admit tats are a bit of a self proclaimation, my point was not to act as a human billboard. I'm not flashing my tats to garner acceptance, feel like a "badass", rebel against the establishment, etc. They are not intended to send a message to creepy old men at the gym :) I did it for me, and to show respect to my family and heritage.
I think that if I had time (today) to sit down with , oh let's say the oldest of old schools, G-Father, show him my tats, give him an my explaination of what they are for, and the reason behind them, I could turn him from wanting to knock my block off to at least understanding my rationale.
I get that this is a blog and your opinion, but the only thing I think you got (w)right here is that tattoos are indeed painful. :) Take care uncle Dan and keep em' coming!