Just an ordinary tattoo

                Tattoos do not always have a deep meaning behind them. My mother in my eyes is one of those people who do not do things without having a good reason behind it. When I first spotted the tattoo I was anxious to hear why she did it. “I see tattoos as an art form and I wanted one at a point in my life so I did.” That was a bit surprising to hear from my mom. My mom always told me do not get a tattoo simply because she knows how people judge this form of art. As I questioned for the first time her tattoo I realized some things. My mom actually does not mind if I got a tattoo and her tattoo has the most basic meaning ever.

            My mom got her first and only tattoo at the age of 22.  Her tattoo is a rose with her nickname “Jenny” above it. As I observed her tattoo I asked the most common question in the world of tattoos. What does it mean? I expected a mind blowing response since tattoos are permanent and you want to make it meaningful. “I like roses and people call me Jenny rather than my real name.” To be sure that was it I had to ask, “Is that it?!” My mother with a straight face responded that’s it. She got a tattoo on her favorite flower and her nickname. I always assumed people got tattoos that symbolize something significant or meaningful to them, but this was the first time I heard someone got a tattoo because they wanted one, but had no real meaning behind it. The one thing I did find interesting was the placement of her tattoo. She placed her tattoo behind her shoulder and she states she put it there because she can choose whether or not she wants to show it to everyone else. I found interesting was how she chose to leave it with black ink rather than to color the rose. She did not want to endure more pain so she left it plain like the meaning of her tattoo. The tattoo itself only took two hours but she advised me if I do decide to get a tattoo it is going to hurt a lot. My mom was away from her parents and when she finally visited them after 2 years they too spotted the tattoo. My grandma asked why she got a tattoo and she said she wanted one but she will not get another because of the pain. My grandma expected the tattoo since my mom worked in a store that sold the ink and that was what influenced her decision in getting a tattoo. Everyone who she was close with asked the same question as my grandma but they all accepted it in the end.

           I see tattoos as freedom of expression. However, when I say freedom of expression I usually expect something with meaning. My mother’s tattoo did not symbolize a memory or an event, nor did it tell a story. Seeing a rose I thought of love right away. I tried associating that to my mom but I was wrong. I learned that sometimes tattoos represent what it shows. My mom is from a Mexican culture where if you get a tattoo it is usually skulls, a spiritual icon, girls, or some kind of gangster image. When you see my mom’s tattoo I think you can’t really say she’s one of those bad people that like tattoos as society usually portraits people who like tattoos. Being quick to judge can sometimes throw you off the real meaning of a tattoo. Some people just enjoy the art. It is like painting on a paper only you wear the art permanently on your body.