Hope I’m posting this in the correct area, fairly new here and aside from my introduction, I guess you can call this my first proper thread here!
Anyway, I write this thread after having the miss fortune of picking up the phone; the land line, usually I just ignore the damn thing and my dear Nan was on the other end! Anyway, to cut a long story short I also had the pleasure of her company on Christmas day and after a few vodka’s she had the old photo albums out; she’d find a picture of a very young me and she’d say:
“Did’nt you look beautiful!” What she meant was, ‘before you had tattoos’; she as I am sure many of you reading this will relate too is one of those relatives that does not share the same passion for tattoos. Infact she’s one of those that still believes tattoos are reserved for ex-convicts and the such. That sentence alone could lead me into a seperate rant; I have tattooed hands and I’ve met some people that believe that alone means I must’ve served time!
Anyway, back to my original story; I’m on the phone with my Nan and she is trying to make me promise to her that I will not get any more tattoos in 2009! Ofcourse I did no such thing and instead went on to make a point of all the ink I have in the pipework! 2007 and 2008 alike we’re not good years for me, so I have really great things planned for 2009, it is dis-heartening that she could not simply be on the same page that I am. She actually went on to tell me that I’d not get ‘a decent girlfriend if I get any more tattoos’, now even if that were true and we all know that frankly it’s bullshit and inked people are better people, but I have tattoos on my neck and hands, I think it’s safe to say, the damage is done.
I know I’m ranting on a bit, but as far as family goes I actually consider myself pretty lucky. It is’nt as if my imediate family give me a hard time about my tattoos like I’m sure a lot of people expirience! Hell, I have friends who’s mother’s have threatened to dis-own them were they to get tattooed! Frankly, how pathetic is that? It’s like trying to have some kind of ownership over their childs life, even after they’ve grown to be ‘men’.
Growing up, my old man had the usual old school bubblegum crap dotted about his arms,’love and hate’, ‘all coppers are bastards’ on the knuckles, etc. He told me never to get tattooed as he hated his. Though, from a broken home himself, turns out, he was just trying to raise me the way he believed was right for when I turned 18 and came home with my first tattoo, he went out and got some more! We even share an identical tattoo now! But it does’nt stop there, even my Mum joined us and she now has three tattoos herself. We became closer, through tattoos if you will.
Then there is my other Nan, now she does’nt care much for tattoos either but atleast she believes ‘each to their own’ and accepts me for who I am, infact, she actually believes she is responsible for a design on my neck; she is’nt but I let her believe that, that is quite another story though.
Scott.
lol, when i got my first tattoo, my mother said “you’re just like your fucken father!” hehehe she hated him of course, my dear uncle who actually raised me said ” god what did you go and do that for? you’ve ruined yourself now, you’ll regret it for life” and blah blah blah they went hehehe, but they loved me and knew i’d just do as i pleased anyway. When i told my dad i was going to be a tattoo artist he thought it was a fantastic idea, although he wont let me near him with my machine, hehehe dont like the pain he wreckons.
Anyhoo different strokes for different folks aye.:D
I’m not sure of your point, the majority of what your nan said could be true. Tattoos on hands and neck limits employment options for sure, will limit relationship options in some cases (tattoos are ugly to many people). After all, it is a nans job to keep you innocent and childlike, I think if they keep the kids young it helps keep them young.
I disagree that people with tattoos are better, thats daft, (I did read that right didn’t I) it is only body art we ar not changing the world with a little colour on ourselves, it shouldn’t change the individual as a person, or I’d hope not.
Anyhoo different strokes for different folks aye.:D
Haha! That made me smile! My old man after myself was my first guinnea pig that I tattooed! He really loves the idea of me being a tattooist and is very supportive which is great! Not sure what I would’ve done without him to be honest, I mean it does’nt really matter how much grape fruit, fake skin or pig skin or whatever others may suggest that you first practise on, nothing compares to tattooing real skin and there is only so much of my own skin I could practise on!
Scrubmuncher, I undersatnd your point; though, I think you missed mine a little. What I mean by inked people are better; well that is a phrase I have adopted that was once said to me and it rings true to me. The literally meaning, I mean if you interpret it exactly as I said it, then, your right it’s just bollox! Having tattoo’s does’nt just make you a better person; for sure, there are certainly some really horrible people out there with ink! I mean, like minded poeple, whom understand you for what you are; that do not judge you for ahving tattoos yet feel more of a mutual respect for you, for being tattooed, does that at all make sense?
Though my Nan may not like my ‘public ink’, that was ofcourse my choice and you are right; yes it does effect employment and possible relationships. But these are things I thought hard about before I had such tattoos. Though, that was kinda’ what my Nan said was’nt it, ‘you’ll never get a decent girlfriend if you get anymore tattoos’, my point really was, well, I dont want a girlfriend that does’nt like my tattoos. How can I word this, every girl that has liked or been involved with me, has liked me; not an image, they’ve liked me and the tattoos they are part of me.
Scott.
Yeh, I know what you mean, I think I’m just being a grumpy old fuck today. All this visiting family over the xmas, spending time with relatives I don’t know smiling all day over a cuppa tea and really not wanting to be in the conversation about who has died this year and how much money the church has donated to helping some chump who prefers to live on the street to a council house etc etc etc. This place is driving me nuts ‘fuck nearly went off on one there, excuse me’.
Anyhoo tattoos……………………………………………………….
Hahaha! Aw man, I get you there! I think that is what inspired the rant about my Nan, I mean, I only have to see her once every 365 days and when I do, she fucks me off! This year, she gave me a lovely conversation about my ex, followed by as you say, who’s died this year and the in’s and out’s about relatives I dont care about!
Being a grumpy, anti-social bugger is great aint it! It serves me well:)
2009 better be a good year for me, or I’ll be writing a serious letter of complaint! 😉
Scott.
Anyhoo tattoos……………………………………………………….
LOL i think the festive season drives everyone a little batty, you cant choose your family, we were having xmas here at our house for the entire family but got knocked down by a virus, vomiting etc, so maybe we had a lucky escape lol 😀
It depends on the family of course. Both of my parents HATE tattoos and I let them know before I got mine (about a week). The conversation was pretty much.
Me: Just letting you know I’ve been planning and am getting a tattoo done in about a week.
Them: If we ask you not to will you just do it anyway?
Me: Yea.
Them: OK then.
After that there was more of course that wasn’t so civial but they know I’ll make up my own mind anyway. In fact for about 3-5 days I could always hear him swearing and complaining about it when I was in a different room but he got over it. I think he might actually like the overall outcome of it as he started talking about how he almost got a drunk tattoo while in the air force but they wouldn’t do it for him (to drunk) but was showing me the airplane he worked on and wanted tattood. They will try and guide me in a way but it is my decision after all. They just don’t talk about it all that often.
Usually it just seems the negative opinions and judging is out of care but it is a shame when it is brought to a level of dissopointment. I have a grandmother who is very religoius and we don’t speak to each other often with her in a dif state and doesn’t get a long with us to well.
I always believed that a good tattoo enhances a person. I personally draw strength from mine knowing that no matter how far away I am from wife I have her on my arm.
My Lion Of Judah gives me the example of the strength that is needed to wade through the bullshit prejudices of others.
What tattoos haven’t done for me was make me immune to the handbag beating I got from my Grandmother who went hysterical about the whole thing and promptly beat me round the head for a good 5 mins shouting that Satan has a nice hot place in hell for me.
This was followed by tears, recriminations etc – fortunately she has managed to overcome the issue but aint families great!
Scrubmuncher – I feel for you I avoid the surviving members of my family like the plague (except my gran). They always feel the need to rake over bad coals and go ‘You know it is x years since your mum and dad and brothers died’. This year there was no smiling I just said hey thanks for reminding me I am an orphan and G-d in his wisdom chose my family over your sour old arse…:) Needless to say the tea and biscuits was cut short lol.
Hey soemtimes it is good to be grumpy!
Matthew
Or not… I do not associate with anything of the “cult” genre.
The Holidays blow.. I can’t wait till they’re done. I see why people drink so much during the Holidays. It’s to bring the “merry” part of xmas/christmas.
My mother is one of those who will “disown” me if she figures out I have ink. So… quite frankly, she just doesn’t know.
Generations view things differently, like tattoos. I’m a secretive person and I don’t think I’ll get any ink done in a visible place because of the mixed emotions of people. However… my lovers and friends will always know me for what I truly am…
Before I started liking ink and before I even considered getting any done, I viewed people with it as very scary. But I dunno, that’s a first impression that sort of melts away after a while… There’s nothing wrong with having people work a little to get to know you.
@Demure 32482 wrote:
Or not… I do not associate with anything of the “cult” genre.
if you have ink you are part of it already
its like god bothering to a christian:confused:
Me also, cults are for weak minded incompitent followers. Although I do find the majority boring and only inking for others reactions, ink is the furthest thing from a cult I could ever imagine (individuality unless you are a tribal member excluded). Although yes we have the follower instinct of the ‘lesser minded neut’) a name I gave to people who come into the studio after a friend for the same or almost same piece a friend did the wek before.
stars spring to mind at the moment.
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