Friday, January 29, 2016

My fascination with tattoos

Tattoos have always fascinated me. Though I am very scared of needles, and am capable of scaring a lion when I scream at a sight of the dreadful needle/syringe. Believe it or not, a few years back when I had to undergo a blood test as the doctor suspected jaundice, I drove the staff in the lab mad when I screamed. Infact, the poor guys had to close the door so that I didn’t scare people around me. Things have improved since then. I don’t scream anymore, but anxiety about the impending tests stresses me out.

A few years back in Mumbai, while waiting to cross a road, I saw a bare-chested foreigner. There was not an inch of his skin visible; tattoos covered his entire chest and back. I am not sure about his legs, but his torso was quite a sight. I remember staring at it while he crossed the road beside me.

I often wonder about people’s fascination with tattoos. I wouldn’t mind a small tattoo (that is if I ever get over my fear of needles) but too many would put me off.

From last year I have been thinking of using tattoos as a string of clues in a thriller. It would be quite interesting if tattoos could play a role in a book. If only tattoos could talk, I am sure they would reveal a lot of information.

What about you all? Are you all fascinated with tattoos? Do you have a tattoo or plan to get one? Have you given any of your characters a tattoo?

Picture Courtesy: www.tattoo.com


10 comments:

  1. I am not fascinated by tattoos and don't want one. I'm glad my daughter never got into them either. Using them as clues could be interesting in a story.

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  2. Oh, I so hate any sort of permanent markings on my skin. I wonder why these people don't make tatoos that can be deleted when we want to.

    Destination Infinity

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  3. There's a TV show where a woman is found all tattooed and they're clues to crimes etc. I can't think of the name of the show but it's relatively new....

    I like the idea of a tattoo, but I'm too much of a chicken. :)

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  4. Clever idea to use tattoos as clues.
    I don't do well around needles. I tend to just get really pale and shaky though.

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  5. I'm not as scared of needles as I am scared of pain, and I know tattoos hurt a lot. Otherwise, I have nothing against them. They're interesting to look at on other folks.

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  6. Some of the tattoos are intriguing but can reveal the personality of the person!

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  7. I've always thought that Polynesian tattoos are the most beautiful:)

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  8. I actually also have a needle phobia, but over the years I've learned to control it.

    As for tattoos, sometimes, I wonder about the meaning behind them, but sometimes I just don't really like when people over-do it.

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  9. I love tattoos.

    I have three (small) ones but each represent a personal belief. I find them EXTREMELY attractive on men, and for that purpose, I have included them on a few of my leading heroes.

    Personal choice ;)

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  10. I am not fond of needles, either, but I've been fascinated in what motivates someone to cover themselves in tattoos (since they would be very difficult to remove later, if they ever want to get rid of them.) Ray Bradbury wrote an interesting story collection in the fifties called The Illustrated Man, where a man was covered with tattoos and each tattoo was a story. But I like your idea. I think a mystery where the clues are in tattoos is a brilliant idea.

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