tatted.
A
documented dialogue from family members.
“
Why would you want to do that to your body?
. “You do know that it is permanent right? I just want you to know that I am not judging you, but that I care about you. I don’t want you to do something that you will regret when you are ninety--or even thirty.
What do you mean you can’t wash it off?
Just why?
I don’t really care for it. I mean, it doesn’t kill you I suppose. It’s not cancer but you never know what damage it could do to your body in the future.”
Honeydew melon and grapefruit are the most common fruits for tattoo practicing, while pig ear is more used since it is at least real skin. You may find the pig skin a bit thicker than human skin when you inject your tattoo needle into it. You may also try pig feet, which is sometimes more preferred by some people. Never use tomatoes.
*Words from random online chat forms regarding amateur tattoo artists
You also could try with watermelon.*
�
ur body.
“But how is it gonna look when you wrinkle?”
“
Well,
at least you aren’t a heroin addict.
That would be sad.�
Are you listening to me?”
.
“What do you mean tattooing is an art form?
“But you are like me and you are going to change your mind about what you want. And laser removal is painful and expensive.”
I’ve resigned
.”
“
Have you ever thought about how it will effect you getting a job? What will your employers, collegues, or professors think? I also don’t understand why you would want to get a tattoo on the back of your neck or behind your ear. You can’t even see it yourself! What’s the point? I don’t understand your generation; everyone wants to be individualistic yet all of your tattoos all look the same. My biggest problem with tattoo artists is their awful aesthetic.
But what if I have a question for you? Why couldn’t you let me make my own opinions about some subjects growing up? You love me perhaps--but with what complicated, specific, and sometimes oppressive ideas about what I should be like? If I admired you too much, I wouldn’t have any impetus to grow up, and get on with my life. I know you want to pass on insights that have been accumulated through painful experiences in hopes of saving me time in the long run. Mistakes must be made in order to learn. I can only grow up through things that have a painful side to them. Parents want their children to grow mature but without going through awful things. They can’t. Human beings are, inevitably, the lifelong prisoners of dynamics set in place by parents who were not necessarily mean, just, under pressure.* *most words from The School of life
Risley Cline
New Genres Spring 2016