My style is self-described as "pretty in punk" (and no, I did not steal that from the Fall Out Boy song). So naturally I plan to decorate my body with many more tattoos than I have right now.
But whenever I bring up my tattoos or are asked about them, there are a few issues that people have. I've heard all the arguments by now. My mother is the queen of attempting to sway my decisions. She started with the standard. "If it's bigger than a nickel, you can't come home." Then I moved out, and so she elaborated.
"I just don't think it's ladylike or pretty. I think it's ugly and I'm sad that you would want to do that to your body." All right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think it's pretty. You also told me I had "too many piercings" when I had three. All in my ears.
After she finally realized that nothing she could say would stop me getting tattooed, she switched tactics and tried to stop me getting certain designs of tattoo. I'm a huge Green Day fan, have been since I can remember, and she told me not to get a Green Day based tattoo because "you won't like it later on." Also, because I wanted it on my wrist, and "that wouldn't look good with a fancy dress." She cornered me in the back room where she works, and got a few girls she works with who have tattoos to tell me not to get it as well.
In addition to her arguments (which I respect, because she is my mother and I love her), I've heard the standard "What will you think of it when you're old and it's still there?" Well, considering I plan to have a sleeve, in addition to the twelve or so other tattoos that are in the works, I'm pretty sure one quarter-sized wrist tattoo will be the least of my concerns.
Then there was my brother. He informed me that ear piercing was "mutilation" and so are tattoos. Apparently body art and piercings are equivalent to "chopping your ear off."
And finally, today, there was this chick. (I'm pink.)
Yes, because I've always been a follower. I've studied tattoos since I was 13. I've seen hideous retardations and awesome works of art. I have never seen two sleeves that were the same, and I've definitely never seen more than one or two pirate sleeves. In addition to not letting me finish the entire sleeve idea, she just tells me I'm one of the sheep. Deliberately. Because she knew it would piss me off.
So I set out to shock her.
And so she sealed the deal on "intelligent."
