The Orion Online

Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Opinion

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"But what's going to happen when you're 80 years old and you're all wrinkly? Do you really think that it's going to look good then?"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard this from my mother when I bring up the idea of getting a tattoo. Usually my mom and I get along just fine, but the generation gap is more than apparent when permanent ink on my body is the topic of conversation.

So what is it with our generation and tattoos? I'd say that a good 90 percent of my friends have at least one, and the other 10 percent are planning to get one.

Tattoos allow us to express ourselves through a means other than words. Not to mention that they are always a good conversation starter at the bars.

However, previous generations just don't seem to understand our fascination with ink. To them, we are degrading our bodies. The common stigma attached to tattoos is that if you have one, you're trashy.

Yes, I'll admit that some tattoos out there just scream "trailer park." For instance, if you have "white girl" tattooed across your pelvic bone, chances are you aren't going to be considered classy or be taken seriously.

But if you have a little flower or star somewhere discreet, like your foot or ankle, what's the harm in that? Sure, it may stretch a bit over the years, but it's not going to look as bad as a big rose on your saggy bum when you're 60.

It's all about what you choose and where you choose to put it. I think older generations overlook that. When I tell my parents or other older relatives that I'm considering a tattoo, they hear the word "tattoo" and immediately think I must be a slut or a drug dealer.

It's time they realized that having tattoos doesn't make you a bad person. It's a personal decision. Like any other life-changing decision, if the decision to get a tattoo is thought over long and hard, the person should be able to do what they want to without getting flak.

In other words, don't go out and get wasted and get some random idiot's name tatted on your face. It's not a good idea. Ever.

If anything, get your mom's name tattooed on you. That way, she can't be mad, and she'll think that you must really love her a lot to put yourself through that much pain.

In all seriousness, though, if we are ever going to bridge the gap between generations when it comes to tattoos, both sides need to come to an agreement.

If older people stop bugging us about being trashy because we have a tattoo, then we should stop getting stupid tattoos that make them think that.

At age 21, I am perfectly capable of getting a tattoo, but I have chosen to wait. This is mainly because my parents told me that if I got one, they wouldn't pay for my college education. It was also because I just wasn't sure what I wanted, and because it's permanent, I decided I better damn well like it.

Had I gotten the tattoo I wanted when I was 18, I would be branded with a "tramp stamp," which is a tattoo on a woman's lower back. Even better, it would have been in the form of a little fairy a la Britney Spears. As much as I love Britney, I'm actually glad that I decided against that one.

In about a month, I will no longer be in college and my parents will no longer be paying for me.

So I'm thinking that it's about time that I got that big rose on my butt, with my mom's name on it, of course.

Caitlin White can be reached at cwhite@theorion.com

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