Why We Shouldn't Be So Quick To Judge The Tattooed

We asked members for their personal tattoo/ piercing stories. Here’s one that caught our eye…

If there is one tattoo I don't regret, it’s the bright yellow Tweety Bird my dad has tattooed boldly across his chest.

That's not to say it hasn't embarrassed me in the past (and probably will in the future) because 12-year-old me honestly couldn't think of anything more awkward than inviting my new private school bestie to the beach with my family, only to have her stare wide-eyed - flabbergasted and slightly disturbed - at the hairy, slightly faded imitation of what was once her favourite cartoon character.

But despite that, this weird little 'for fun' tattoo my dad has taught me an important lesson I am glad to have learned.

When I was eight, I asked him why he got it, and he simply said “for fun.” I was so confused and not very proud of my dad in that moment, because I had been consistently told that tattoos were worn by scary - or stupid - people, and yet here was my normal, polite and grown-up dad telling me he got it because it was funny.

It made me think that something about my dad was therefore scary or stupid, because he had a tattoo, despite the fact that I, as his daughter, knew he was neither of those things.

In the years after discovering his tattoo, it has become something I laugh about as well. I was told tattoos were bad, and so I believed that, but now I feel quite the opposite. Tattoos are a wonderful example of self-expression.

Tattoos are something a person has decided to have put on their skin as a reminder, a laugh, or symbol of something significant. If they chose to put it on their skin, they obviously had a reason for it, and they have every right to show it off, keep it personal or do whatever the hell they want to do with it. Because it’s their tattoo.

And we really need to stop judging people based on their decision to get a tattoo. Why should the Tweety Bird have a direct correlation that causes you to assume my dad made a stupid decision when he was younger, or that the guy with a few tattoos on his arm is automatically a member of a bike gang, when if you saw either of them walking down the road in a jumper, swinging their daughter along and clearly enjoying spending time with her, you wouldn't automatically assume either of those things?

A few blotches of ink on someone’s skin has nothing to do with their personality or quality of person, and should not be automatically linked negatively. Tattoos have become a way for families to grieve, to display their pride, beliefs and likes, and as just an overall form of self-expression.

Why do the words "Oh yeah, Steve has a tattoo," automatically make some people shake their head with disgust, while "Steve has Lucy's name and death date tattooed on his back," makes people feel something totally different, when it is still the same tattoo and the same person? Because society always has to find a way to judge people, and this is just another thing to judge.

So rock on all the people with silly, significant or cultural tattoos, because your skin isn't what defines you.

Photo: iStock.

Congratulations to Piper for winning this writing challenge, answering: My Personal Piercing/Tattoo Story. Piper wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!