35 Comments

I've never been that into Tatoos. I think they can be really cool but I don't have anything important enough to capture like that. I love the idea on Māui of all the adventures but I don't even know where I'd start.

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My neighbor has a tattoo of all the Hawaiian islands and he has them colored in one-by-one as he visits

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

I label it being afraid of pain, however, deep down I wonder if it's a form of fear of permanence, being locked in to one image, one word, one anything forever. Perhaps my tattoolessness is a form of commitment avoidance. Interesting about Ôtzi.

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I wasn't deterred by pain at all, but instead by the permanence thing. I pierced my own eyebrow at age 19! But that safety pin could always come out.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

Damn, when your parents warn you that "tattoos are forever," they're not messing around, eh?

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If I had it to do over, I would've planned my tattoo work out more into something more cohesive. But then I probably wouldn't have as much artwork as I have. I befriended an artists at one point and got most of my tattoos at random point in small doses when he was bored. I am basically a sketch pad.

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That's how pretty much all of my punk friends during the 90s did it. There was no grand architecture, but more of "I have an enthusiastic and talented friend who needs some practice."

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Consider the Maori, tattoos draw power.

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Aug 29Liked by Andrew Smith

I have always admired the tenacity of people with tattoo. I don't think I can face the pain.

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I've always wanted a little matching spider for the whole fam but my wife and kid #2 aren't so into it 🕷️

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Did you pay as close attention as I did to the little spiders hiding on the dollar bill?

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😮

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Maybe he'd been in prison? Were there any tats on his face?

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I'm not sure there was such a social stigma around tattoos back then.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

Does "permanent" eye liner count? I'm not sure because they said touch ups would be needed, I haven't heard that about real tattoo, Otzi sure didnt need any! The equipment looked the same and it was painful enough that I didn't go back for more, maintenance or other wise, but I sure appreciate some of the artwork I've seen. I was particularly drawn to Māori symbols and styling after watching a Men in Kilts (S2-NZ) episode, the storytelling aspect was fascinating, historical and artistic.

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Yeah, permanent eye liner counts! I think so, anyway - the principle is the same. I really appreciate good tattoos myself.

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I’m the opposite, now I only have to look at the artwork on my body for a couple of decades instead of an entire lifetime! 😂 But, yeah, still too many choices. If I’d broken the seal at 20, like my youngest did, I’d probably have a full sleeve or more already.

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As Joyce Wycoff says, "my tatoolessness is a form of commitment avoidance" -- 100%. I like the idea of a tattoo and can appreciate ink on someone else's body, but what the heck am I gonna want to see on my sagging 80+ year old body??? If I could figure THAT out, I'd get a tattoo. Well, maybe not *just* that... I'd also struggle with deciding WHO should ink my virgin canvas. Too many choices to make!

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With every decade that passes, it probably gets slightly less likely that I'll end up taking the plunge, I think. I really thought I'd have like a full body of tattoos by now when I was in my early 20s, but having never committed to that first one really postponed the not-so-inevitable.

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Finding these remains sounds like something out of Bones (which coincidentally I’ve been watching recently for the first time). I wonder if Otzi had these tattoos for directions or to be used like a map somehow, or for memories, Memento-style. Modern day Reda would never get a tattoo; however, ancient times Reda might’ve gotten plenty if that was popular for remembering significant things and locating places.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

Tattoos seem to tell stories; imaginary or real. Say to a person who has one; “Tell me about your tattoo.”

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author

True - there are few better conversation starters than tattoos.

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Mehndi, a temporary skin decoration, has been used in India for a few thousand years. It originated in Egypt and Babylon. The coloring lasts up to three weeks.

More here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehndi

Some examples:

https://tinyurl.com/yhw4emv2

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

I got tattoos in the 70's. No, I do not regret it!

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author

What did you get?

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

I got a bracelet on my wrist with a hummingbird, a yellow rose, and a peacock.

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author

Any symbolic/personal meaning?

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

Hummingbirds are the only birds who can hover in flight. The Rose? It just "worked" really well. The peacock. -_- that was a cover-up of the ugliest mistake for a tattoo I've ever seen in my life. It took 3 1/2 hours.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

No tattoos and proud of it! I think I'm the only one of my three brothers and three sisters without a tattoo or piercing (most have both)!😂

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author

I read something to the effect that one in three Americans are tattooed. Where are the other 2/3?

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

In my experience I’d say it’s more like 50%….and that’s just people with visible tattoos. Two of my sisters have tattoos that are in discreet locations that aren’t immediately obvious (an ankle and the small of the back).

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author

I guess like kids count too, right? So maybe that's like 1/3.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

Good point! We're not born with tats!😂

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author

Let's patent an in-womb tattoo gun. People will buy it.

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Aug 25Liked by Andrew Smith

😂 Probably!

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