I just live for what I love Revised

About the tattoo

Marta Aguirre is a 34 year old women who have just gone through a divorce putting her and her 4 kids without a roof on their head.

A year ago Marta was found herself between the hands of her husband until one phone call from her oldest daughter to the police ended all. Marta never worked before and now she had to support her 4 kids ages 11, 9, 8 and 5. It was very difficult for her to play the role of both parents for her kids, but regardless of of the situation she was able to keep food on the table and roof over their heads. 

“At times I felt like I couldn’t continue with

the struggle, and my family turned away

from me when I needed them the most”

 This led to depression and when she found out she couldn't continue to move forward and provide for her children she realized that she had to continue to live for one reason and one reason only; for those who needed her the most, her kids. Marta then got a tattoo written

“I just live for what I love” 

Copyrights 2013 • On the Wings of a Dove

with 5 doves flying across her arm. Four of them representing each of her children and the last one was herself. She explains that the tattoo is a reminder that she most continue to move forwards with her leading her kids into a better future day to day. And though there were times where she found herself hotels, getting free refills from McDonald’s, asking for air at the Salvation Army, she still keeps to keep her head held high to improve and provide for her kids. Now, Marta is now renting a stable location and building her home from bottom up. Marta mentions that her parents nor her siblings approved her divorce nor her tattoo, but they do not understand what she went through and the situation that she was in. 

©Antonio D. Torres. 2014

Assumptions and Society

When I first met Marta I automatically assumed that the tattoo she had was due to a rebellious part of her life. Throughout her divorce, I knew that she was going through some changes in her life. Within those changes was the style of music. After her divorce she began listening to hard metal, rock, and some other depressing genres. Since that was the only background information I had about her, I automatically assumed that this rebellious part of her life complimentary to her style of music. I was completely wrong. Some factors that made me believe this way include the way I was raised; 

“(…) tattoos look bad and they are unprofessional”

what society thinks, 

Pareces un cholo con tanto tatuaje. 

¡No sabía que mis rayas tenían que gustarle!

(You look like a gangster with all those tattoos. I didn’t know you where supposed to like my scribbles.)

-El de los Lentes Carrera. Revolver Cannabis. Del Records LLC, 2013. iTunes.

Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres.

(Tell me who your friends re and I’ll tell you who you are.)

-Anzaldua, Gloria. "How to tame a wild tongue."  Borderlands. : Aunt Lute Books; 4 edition, 2012.  Print.

and what we see on television

“Tattoos make you look good”

That is where my presumption was coming from. When Marta got her tattoo she knew there were going to be some challenges and that society would not see her the same. She mentions that she still has bad experiences with people. 

“When I go pick you my kids other parents

tend to keep their own kids away from me.

But come on, I’m the friendliest person

you’ll ever meet!” 

Her story is one of many others that still faces due to her tattoo, however she has an assumption due to the fact that an event in her life impacted her the most. 

“I feel like society, religion, and politics are so

focused on criticizing people with tattoos

instead of creating world peace, feed the hungry

and shelter the poor and homeless. Like me.”

Is she wrong?

In addition, she mentions that we still have some people who still haven't face the fact that we now live on the 21st century, where we have much more freedom of expressing ourselves in many ways we wish without harming others. She closed the interview by saying :

“It is impossible to change how people think about tattoos,

but we can definitely explain to them that we

ARE NOT harming anyone.

We are simply expressing ourselves and we

should focus on bigger problems our society is facing.”

Resources for the interview:

 The Interview was recorded via voice in Spanish, however if you'd like the translated scrip of the interview please click here.

All images used in this assignment are Copyright of Antonio D. Torres. 2014©. To view consent and release form please click here. To view the release for in Spanish click here.