I had a long discussion with one of my brothers about tattoos, and how one of his friend was shunned because of her tattoo.
You know, in this country, at this day and age, there are still people who thinks that those people who has tattoos are “not good people.” By “not good people” they mean someone who does drug, are alcoholic, or violet and stuff like that.
I remembered when I was looking for an apartment years ago. Friends and I went to inquire for an available apartment somewhere in Pasig City. The owner of the apartment we were looking to rent interviewed us and her first question was, “Does anyone of you have tattoos?” To which we answered no and immediately followed a question of why. She told us that if any of us has tattoos, she wouldn’t rent us her apartment regardless of whether we capable of paying rent or not. She told us that a week before us, there was a rich lady with a Japanese husband who also inquired about the same apartment but she refused to rent it to her because of a tiny tattoo she has in her ankle. She said that people with tattoos often bring trouble and that they full of vices and the like. At that moment she was saying it, I wanted to slap her with a thick book. But I held it up pretty good. I have to commend my maturity of that moment, if I say so myself. This irked us and we decided not to rent her house because she’s a big fat old stereotyping bitch.
I do not have tattoos, but I have a lot of friends who has. And they are passionate, kind and beautiful people. They are not drugged addicted, alcoholic nor violent like how the old lady suggests. They simply express themselves and their creativity through their tattoos. They love their tattoos. It’s a symbol of who they are, what they wanted to be, and sometimes, a reminder of something, something to gain or something they have lost. Having people throw these kind of opinions on you often lead you to dismay and eventually, it will discourage you to have a tattoo on. And I think that’s wrong.
I think that having tattoo is supposed to be your personal choice and not some stranger’s. If you wanted to have one, go and have one. Don’t let other people bring you down. To hell with other people’s opinions. It’s your body. What you do with it, is your choice and your consequence. Having tattoo is another form of self expression. We should not be afraid of expressing ourselves. We all have our personal freedom, and we should not let society dictate how we want to live our lives and what we want to do with our bodies.
5 Comments
Wow, that lady has some issues … which may or may not have ONE DAMN thing to do with tattoos.
This is entirely true. Some people will always have the notion that people with tattoos are bad ones. It’s not really the case for me, but the most recent feedback that I got was from a high school batchmate who said that he never thought of me getting a tattoo. Hah, bring on the sleeve tattoo!
This would of pissed me off. I probably would of told her something along the lines of “well I refuse to rent from people that have sticks up their asses”. Some people! I hate when people are judgmental.
It’s sad that many people still think like this. I wonder if they realize that they’re being judgmental. It’s almost like a natural reaction to people who have tattoos. This is a stigma they do not deserve.
I don’t even know how in the hell I haven’t commented on this entry, but apparently, I hadn’t yet (though I did have it in mind before, ugh). Anyway, tattoos are definitely a personal choice/preference. My mom swore up, down, left and right that she would never get a tattoo at one point, and now she has one. I thought I would never get the chance to get one either, but now I have 4 (and would love more!).
That old lady… oh man, I don’t know but I would not have kept my cool with her. No to be rude back at her, but I would have definitely had something to say about her judgmental personality, that’s for damn sure! I find a lot of people judge what they don’t understand, so there’s that on her. Still, it does not mean or make an excuse that she has to be a jerk about it.