Keep Hope Alive
Remembering Others Through Tattoos
To tattoo or not to tattoo…that is the question. When it
comes to tattoos, it appears as though there are basically 2 camps. Those
who think having a tattoo is wrong to do personally, morally, or spiritually
and others who see nothing wrong with it. There are not many in between perspectives.
I don’t have a tattoo. Although they may be artistic and colorful, I never liked the permanency of it. At this point, I don’t regret not getting one. No doubt at my age the tattoo would now be faded, sagging, wrinkly, and distorted (read larger and stretched out). There might even be a skin “age spot” right in the middle of it.
I talked with people from both camps. I found that those against tattoos commonly believed that tattoos may be a sign of a rebellious person, or they associate tattoos with drug and alcohol addicts. No doubt in some cases these beliefs may hold true.
However, there are other reasons a person gets a tattoo. More common than not, the person has a conviction of something they want to state through a tattoo, or they have something they want to remember, such as a special person, an important date, or a life experience (good or bad).
Four of the five women who are in the Gospel Rescue Mission recovery program that I talked with got one in memory of someone very dear to them.
Misty was living on her own at age 16…troubled and struggling. She found a special friend in a woman who encouraged her during Misty’s deepest times of need. At 17, Misty decided to move to Tucson. She knew she was going to miss her best friend, so she decided to get a tattoo to remember her by. Misty said, “The only thing I was afraid about getting a tattoo was that I was underage and didn’t want to get in trouble with the law.”
Her friend advised Misty to “Fully Rely On God”. With that statement, Misty got a tattoo of a frog…the acronym for that advice. As Misty looks her frog, she remembers her friend and also to fully rely on God. She doesn’t regret getting it and wants to get another one of a Care Bear to remind her of her son, who is living with his father in Phoenix.
Cheryl also got one 4 years ago to remind her of her best friend who moved to Las Vegas. Following Christ now, she does regret that the tattoo is a picture of a devil and says, “Little Devil”, the nickname she had during her former street life and drug days.
Debbie didn’t get her first tattoo until she was 40. Her second one has a double meaning. It’s a rose to remind her of her sister, Sharon, who was killed in a car accident in 1986. It also represents Christ, the “rose of Sharon”.
Jessie got a tattoo 2 years ago to remind her of her brother who passed away when she was 8. The tattoo is the Serenity Prayer. She said, “I can’t change that he died, but I can accept it now.”
So, before you make a judgment or comment about someone’s tattoo, remember that it may represent someone very dear or a perhaps life altering event.
Roy E. Tullgren III serves as Director for Gospel Rescue Mission. Find out how you can get involved and make a difference by calling 740-1501.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
