I've always loved tattoos. I've been having fantasies about tattoos ever since I was a little kid and saw them in magazines or television. Coming from a small italian town, where people cringe before you have the time to say "body modification", I've toyed with the idea of getting tattoos for years, but never got round to it. That is, until I met Andy, the man behind most of my work, former lover and now a good friend of mine. I've started getting inked at 14 -no, we didn't have a law back then, and no, he didn't ask for consent, because there was no such thing, and still there is very little info about it, much less than there should be- and withing five years I'd got 13 tattoos, including a large writing on my stomach and big pieces on my arms. None of my tattoos are the result of an impulsive decision: they have been planned carefully, they represent a special occasion I wanted to mark and I did them with love and pride, because they were important to me, rather than just a status symbol.
At A Glance Author strawberry Contact [email protected] IAM strawberry When N/A Moreover, I like the look of them on my skin, I love showing them in skimpy dresses and I do really think they are beautiful, and a part of me which I could not see myself without.
Apart from being what here would be called a "HTP", heavily tattooed person -a definition which does not apply to me at all, because heavily tattooed people are heavily tattooed for good, whereas I have a bit of ink here and there- and being referred to as "you know, that girl with tattoos" I'm also entering the academic world, hoping for a job as a professor (you can always dream). In this environment, as narrow-minded as it may sound, my tattoos have never been a problem. I am perfectly aware that it may be like an utopia, or that I've been incredibly lucky so far, but nobody has ever talked about my tattoos with a disrespectful voice, or made nasty comments, or penalized my academic work because of them. Of course, this is the way things should be, but this is not always the case.
I was perfectly aware that tattoos were permanent when I first got them. This was what had attracted to them in the first place, the fact that they would be there for life. I have considered that my skin wouldn't always be as toned as it is now, and that I may not want to always show them, but, to be honest, I like dressing up and I like it even more if you can see a bit of ink, because I think it makes a nice contrast -a suit and heels and tattoos looks great to me. And, my thought is, if I do not want them to be on display, I can get a dress that's less skimpy, and that is it.
I've only just started a new job, to make ands meet while I'm still at uni. It's a job I love and, moreover, a job I am genuinely good at. I work as a guide to private groups of tourists, I take them shopping, out for lunch and to see places.
I have never thought my tattoos would be a problem, until the other day.
I was speaking to my boss, who is a HTP himself -yes, really, whole back a full sleeves, plus some neck and scalp stuff- and at some point he noticed something on my arm. He grabbed me from the wrist (which in civilized countries would be considered as assault) and asked me what I had, and I showed him my ink, eagerly but not exactly happily. After all, I thought he'd understand, or at least not complain. Needless to say, he started screaming, which was somewhat hypocritical of him. He said that if I wanted to keep my job I needed to cover up and cover up well, because it could be "insulting" for costomers to see "what I had". Insulting it was, not my ink, but what he said to me, and for the first time in my life I did feel ashamed of my tattoos. If I could have done without that job, I would have run away without even saying goodbye, but it is good money and pays the bills and puts food on my plate and I'm not (yet, hopefully)in the position where you can choose where to get your income from.
So I stayed, promised him that yes, I would always cover up and left.
In Italy there are not very strong laws against this sort of discrimination, and I know I'm lucky to still have the job -he could have fired me that precise moment and no law would have protected me. I know that in other countries things might have gone differently.
My point is, think always, very carefully, before you show your mods. You may love them, but your boss may not. Try to know the law before getting into any job, be aware of what is legal and what is not, regarding modifications and other discriminations that can occur. And don't trust strangers just because they seem friendly.
Modifications are part of what makes us unique as individuals and as part of a larger community. I am proud of them and proud of being part of this community: it is something we should be happy about, and not ashamed for.
When in doubt, beware, for your own safety and happiness.