I've been wanting a tattoo for a while now, being an early teen, which I guess is typical. However, I'm not the best at being decisive so it hasn't happened yet...or maybe it never will. I'm not sure yet. Ten minutes ago in the shower I thought of the word 'except' and thought it was a brillant idea to have it etched in my wrist forever in bold black ink. And approximately five minutes ago I thought I decided that I should never get a tattoo if I really knew what was best for me. You see, I had this theory, I'll call it the Exceptionist Theory.
In 2010, most teenagers like myself scramble to find what defines them. The best way for the majority of us to do this is to find a symbol, a letter, a number, anything that we feel speaks to us and tattoo it to our body forever to remind us of a time when we thought we knew everything about ourselves. This tattoo will make us individuals. However, what I've notice is that most tattoos are underdeveloped, ordinary, and overrated. Instead of becoming unique, you blend in with most others your age. Yes, your tattoo means something different to you, and I guess that's all that matters but the idea, the deed, the placement, font, coloring, symbol is in fact NOT unique. In trying to be 'different' you become a stereotype.
Now for the 'except' part. When I thought about all the generalizations people make about tattoos like how they are recklessly decided on, cliche messages and such, I always convince myself that I am the exception to these generalization. "Yes, I'm young, I think it looks cool, and my tattoo has been done before, surely it has, and if it hasn't then someone else probably will get something along the same lines, BUT this means something very dear to me. This speaks to me and is extremely relevant to my being!" I would say to myself in defense. But then I ponder on, of course it means something to me, why else would I go through the physical pain and commitment of having it printed on my body for life? Well, if I'm a relatively normal teenager and I think like this wouldn't most people with tattoos think the same way? Thus the normal or typical person would think they are the exception. With this mindset they become individuals, not because of the tattoo.
They will defend their tattoo, it's meaning, their values and thoughts, why they got it and that will make them individuals. The actual tattoo will just be the epitome of their thoughts and values.
This all this being said, I'd like to make a disclaimer that I'm talking about teenagers like myself who actually want their tattoos to mean something not because "it looks cute and I was drunk when I decided". Those drunkards and shallow tattoo-ees is what is giving us teenagers the bad rep! ....now am I the exception? or they? or are we both?
-Miss Rhoda
