Do You Tattoo?

An acquaintance of mine posted an image, and it got me thinking...

It was a Facebook card was titled "Tattooed Parents."

I made a comment that read: "But it does raise eyebrows.  Is that what was intended?"

My daughter, who is beautiful, a mother of two, and turning 25, has several tattoos.  One is rather large and covers a good portion of her back shoulder blade.  If I could have had a say-so in whether she would get it, I would have pleaded against it and the other smaller tattoos.

I, quite frankly, cannot find a logical reason for tattoos.  If the reason is because you have become infatuated with a particular piece of art or some design, why do you feel compelled to have it permanently etched into your skin?  After all, in most cases, I would guess the placement of the tattoo would not be continually visible to the the owner.  That would be because it is either under garments or it is placed so that it's not readily seen without some sort of contortion. 

Is it to be viewed only in private, for the owner's eyes only?  Or perhaps to be viewed by one's lover?

Or is the purpose and placement of the tattoo to draw attention to it and, logically, to its owner?

If either of the two reasons above are true, wouldn't that be the height of narcissism?  If it is only meant for your eyes, then I believe the answer to the above question is "Yes."  If it is meant for your lover's eyes, I also think there is a great degree of narcissism involved.  If it is meant to draw the eyes of anyone at any time in any place, then again I believe it's narcissism, and even more disagreeable for the reason that it "interrupts" not only the visual scene but it also invades the thoughts of the viewer.

I often find myself in the presence of heavily tattooed people.  I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK!  Is it a no-no to stare at a person's tattoo?  I'm unsure of tattoo etiquette... Why does the wearer get such intricate, complicated designs?  From a few feet away the design is often impossible to decipher.  Am I "allowed" or even expected to stare at the design to discern its inner meaning?  If not, then why is it out there for all to see?  In a way, it's like blatantly displayed cleavage.  You're damned if you look and you're kidding yourself if you don't.

My friend has Asian alphabet tattoos on her wrists, and she has them there to give her constant inspiration.  They are small and unassuming, and on the underside of her wrists.  They're nonetheless visible, and I can't help but wonder if they aren't viewed in the workplace by her superiors with raised eyebrows.  A calculated risk, I guess.

In the end, my feelings about tattoos come down to something my father told me many years ago.  Dad was a merchant seaman and had been since he was a young man.  Those were the days when just about the only tattoos that were worn were by merchant seamen or carnival workers.  It was an exclusive club and a rite of passage.  As I prepared to sail on my first merchant ship, my father felt compelled to give me some advice.  He "suggested" that I NOT get a tattoo.  I had always seen the obvious tattoo on his left forearm ... now faded and nearly impossible to read.  In support of his advice, he said "You will acquire enough scars as you go through life."