At A Glance Author lila Contact [email protected] When N/A Truth be told, I don't know what I'm going to look like in 20 years. I don't know what I'm going to look like in 2 years at that. I imagine this image of me dressed in perfection. I'm a little bit leaner, clear skin, my legs will actually be the same shade as my arms, and my tattoos will be bright as the day I got them. But we all know age and beauty is a rare combination. So when I get asked the age old question that all modified women are asked sooner or later more times than needed, I honestly don't know how to reply.
"Do you know what that is going to look like when you're sixty?" Yes, I do have a witty remark to these rude questions, but in reality, I don't know how these tattoos are going to be affected by my body aging and changing.
In a small town deep in the cunt of Georgia, it's a rare occasion to see a heavily tattooed female. Of course there are the normal tramp stamps, ankle, and shoulder tattoos peaking out of the scarcely clad girls with their sun baked skin . I look at women in all walks of life, and try to imagine them with a sleeve or a large visible tattoo. Its hard to imagine something that isn't there and practically impossible for me to relate to any of the women because each individual has their own unique changes ahead of them.
With the worlds obsession with the future, hardly anyone lives in the present. We are always planning for tomorrow. Tattoos may be one of the last impulses that practically every young person these days acts on. You're right, there are millions of people that act on random impulses not even associated with body modification everyday and do not think of how this will affect them tomorrow. But permanently marking the body for anyone to see is just a strong reminder of the days past and the choices that one makes. How will this affect them in the future? How will people perceive a tattooed female of 50 years of age?
In my experience at tattoo shops, most of the customers are made up of young adults coming in, picking a design off the wall and slapping it on the skin. Heck, this was the exact way my first tattoo went. I had wanted a tattoo for years, but never actually thought about what I wanted. Its an extremely hard decision to think about what you want to look at on your body for the rest of your life, but so many of us don't give it much thought at all. Maybe it is this decision to not put the much needed thought into a tattoo that makes the majority assume that one day, us tattooed folks are gonna hate our ink. I don't regret my choice at all. I feel like it tells the story of me at 17. A typical teenager who knew it all, or so I thought.
My tattoo collection has grown quite a bit since 17 and I cant help but ponder that question of aged tattoos. Will the placement of my tattoos be that much affected by 10 years? Probably so.
In reality, I don't care. Its that plain. Although I might express to the ignorant mass with questions of the future of me and my tattoos, that body modification is the most intense art form around these days. That modifying my body allows me control over myself that I could not achieve in any other fashion. Or maybe that being a human canvas allows me to be a part of the art world I would be denied access to for lack of talent. Those are all great answers and true to an extent.
But its much more simple than that for me. I just like them. From a young age I was fascinated with tattoos, especially on women. I think they add a little bit of mystery or show a glimpse of a wild side hidden under a sleeve or pant leg. For me, tattoos show who I am. With the different themes I portray on my body, I demand that you look at me and realize that I'm more than your stereotypical female. I refuse to fit tucked inside myself and if you don't like it. Well, you know what to do.
The dedication that all tattoo lovers share is a power bomb. To sit for a 5 hour session is no easy task. The electric bond that an artist and client share while in the booth is addictive. Mixed with vulnerability, pain, and triumph, its one of the most intense experiences I've had. It's a beautiful choice to decorate the body. Its something that will always be there to remind you who you are and who you were. And nothing can change that. Not even age.