Getting inked is never an easy decision (unless, of course, your tattoo is the tramp stamp variety). There's a lot of consideration that goes into it. On the emotional front, one wonders, what are my motivations for getting a tattoo, and what deserves to be etched into my skin for all of eternity? Then of course, there are more practical issues to tackle, like where do I place it so that it does not impact my professional prospects, and (since we are Indians) "log kya kahenge".
I wanted a tattoo since I was a teenager tuning into Miami Inc on TV every possible chance I'd get. Kat Von D shocked and delighted me all in one go - she was the epitome of 'cool' in my book at the time. So I'd make a note of all the tattoos she'd make for her clients and do even further research on the net for unusual designs (I did not realize the logical fallacy in that till much later).
I ended up discussing these ideas with my parents. They were, as expected, not thrilled with the idea of their teenage school-going daughter getting a permanent tattoo. So they hit me with the argument that I should get to know myself better and have a few more life experiences in order to ensure that my tattoo should mean as much to me twenty years down the line as it would in the present day. Happily for them, this conversation coincided with my meeting a few kids who had gotten inked for the sake of bragging rights. That sealed the deal for me.
Eventually, when the time came, I immediately knew exactly what I had to get done - I didn't care if it was cool or cliched, I just had to go ahead with it. And getting it done was an unexpectedly poignant process. I used to think most of the dramatic reasons people shared on Miami Ink for getting tattooed were just a means to boost TRPs. But sitting there, with the needle piercing through my skin over and over again, the pain was far more emotional than it was physical.
In hindsight, my parents did me a huge favour. Now, my tattoo is a tribute I carry with me everyday, everywhere and it is an important part of me. And I've also set a pretty high benchmark for the ones to follow. The canvas awaits its next piece of art.
I wanted a tattoo since I was a teenager tuning into Miami Inc on TV every possible chance I'd get. Kat Von D shocked and delighted me all in one go - she was the epitome of 'cool' in my book at the time. So I'd make a note of all the tattoos she'd make for her clients and do even further research on the net for unusual designs (I did not realize the logical fallacy in that till much later).
I ended up discussing these ideas with my parents. They were, as expected, not thrilled with the idea of their teenage school-going daughter getting a permanent tattoo. So they hit me with the argument that I should get to know myself better and have a few more life experiences in order to ensure that my tattoo should mean as much to me twenty years down the line as it would in the present day. Happily for them, this conversation coincided with my meeting a few kids who had gotten inked for the sake of bragging rights. That sealed the deal for me.
Eventually, when the time came, I immediately knew exactly what I had to get done - I didn't care if it was cool or cliched, I just had to go ahead with it. And getting it done was an unexpectedly poignant process. I used to think most of the dramatic reasons people shared on Miami Ink for getting tattooed were just a means to boost TRPs. But sitting there, with the needle piercing through my skin over and over again, the pain was far more emotional than it was physical.
In hindsight, my parents did me a huge favour. Now, my tattoo is a tribute I carry with me everyday, everywhere and it is an important part of me. And I've also set a pretty high benchmark for the ones to follow. The canvas awaits its next piece of art.
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