Making Other People's Tattoos My Business Makes the World a Little Better
I have no tattoos and don’t want any. I sometimes admire small and artful tattoos. I think that people shouldn’t get large tattoos, or a lot of tattoos. I’m repulsed by face tattoos, although I’d like to meet and have a conversation with Jelly Roll about other things. You, like I do, may sometimes think that even though tattoo wearers profess to love their abundant skin art, that later in life they will regret their decision. All that none-of-my-business judgment aside, I know and appreciate that tattoos often represent something of profound importance to their wearer – a moment of significant impact or a lifetime of meaning.
My #1 guiding value is curiosity, and genuine curiosity motivates me to put my tattoo bias aside and ask people about their tattoos.
Most often I ask someone who’s serving me at a business, but sometimes even a random stranger. I may say something like, “That’s a very (insert authentic and descriptive positive adjective) tattoo…” Something like, “Wow, those colors are amazing! How did you find that artist?” or “Wow, that is a beautiful image, did you design it?” If the person responds with a sense of enthusiasm and openness, then I might ask, “Is there a story behind it that you like to share?”
Here’s an example, referencing the photo in this post. This tattoo really caught my attention – it seemed so sad. The woman with this tattoo told the touching story of a very difficult time in her life from which she emerged a better person, and she reminds herself of this by reflecting on the tattoo (she gave me permission to take this picture). Friends who’ve been with me when I ask about tattoos have told me they at first thought I was being intrusive. Then when the person chooses to talk about it, they like me, relish the human stories shared in a moment of spontaneous human connection between unalike people.
Overcoming my own biases and hearing these stories keeps my mind open and fresher. That’s part of being Stubbornly Young!