Say "I do" to your tattoo!

The dictionary definition of a tattoo is something close to 'the practice of making a design on the skin by pricking and staining'. Ouch! While these would be the factual and physical details of the process of getting one, for the longest time i've been wondering, what constitutes to an individual's selection of a tattoo design?

I've met a number of people who tell me, "I WANT a tattoo, but just don't know what to get!" This amuses me and often forces me to conclude that for most, tattoos begin and end as simply being a style statement.

For me, my tattoos have to be based on something with which i have an unbelievable emotional connect...something that has been an important and irreplaceable aspect of my life, or something that mirrors me. Think a number of times before being impulsive and getting your lover's name inked. (I still remember the time when an extremely special friend's EX-bf got her first initial permanently inked on his body. Her name begins with an H, so, he got an ant-size 'H' tattoed on his ginormous arm. The minute he'd shown this to my friend, she freaked out, and being the super-practical thing that she is, she immediately asked him as to what he'd do if they broke-up, to which he replied, "I'd add a D to it, so that it reads as HD (Harley Davidson)." Sigh! Of course, within a few months they broke-up; and wonder what's the status of that tattoo today!)

Also, at the risk of sounding too judgmental, i can't help but say that there are quite a few people who are wannabes and are simply enamoured with this so-called 'style' statement. There's nothing wrong in sporting a piece of art on your body, but please don't simply be a canvas that's carrying a beautiful painting without knowing its significance. So, while I totally advocate and endorse impulsiveness, in the case of tattoos, NEVER!

Getting a tattoo is a life-long commitment. So, think a hundred times before getting married, but a million times before getting yourself inked. Of course, there are laser surgeries that help you get rid of it, but, i guess, that's even more painful and a lot more expensive than the process of getting one. (Unless you're Angelina Jolie, of course!)

However, if you've just been lucky-enough to find someone (a friend, lover, whoever) who deserves that kind of place and stamp on your body, just go ahead and immortalise your love for that person. Something like that could be as beautiful and special as a poet dedicating a song to someone, or a painter eternalising someone on his canvas. I'd say, such is the power of a tattoo!

One of the most beautiful tattoos that i've ever seen is that of a lady having her son's date of birth inked on her body. Now that is truly beautiful. So, while i'm oh-so-in-love with my two tattoos and totally committed to them (whoever said i'm afraid of commitments!), i must admit, the aspect of getting a third one -- that of my child's date of birth -- seems crazily enticing. Of course, the big issue right now is that there's no baby in being...so, this tattoo will have to wait!