Tattoo or No Tattoo

I don’t know the point of this column, but bear with me as I unravel something I’ve been thinking about lately.

I have a lot of tattoos. At this point I have mostly forgotten about them and hardly even remember they exist until someone else points them out to me.

You can only really tell just how inked up I am if I’m in swimwear or completely naked. The rest of the time, you may notice the one or two tattoos on my hands and arms.

I think I have 13 tattoos in total. When I got my first one, I kind of got addicted and went a little crazy. I do not regret any of them as they all hold special meaning to me. They all have their own story, and they are a big part of my story and who I am.

I’ll probably get a few more in the future, but for now I have satiated the urge I had a few years ago. I think my tattoos perfectly illustrate my personality.

I am someone who does whatever I want. Within reason, I rarely listen to other people or let their opinions affect me too much. I think I like to live in a bubble of delusion, and block out all the noise and unsolicited judgement and condemnation.

One thing I can tell you is that you should not get tattoos if you care too much about what other people think of you.
This is a journey for those who want to do something for themselves – something only they themselves may understand.

The amount of conversations I’ve had with people who do not like tattoos is unimaginably high.

For some reason, everyone feels the need to explain to me why they would never get any. They go into long tirades about how it’s too permanent, how they don’t like the aesthetic, how they just could absolutely never.

Without any prompt, people turn a mundane life choice into a holy act that deserves a standing ovation. But to be honest, not having tattoos is not any more special than having them.

Each person should decide for themselves who they are and what they want for their lives, and those things only apply to the individual.

Now, you may come at me with some religious text that says this or that, or your own opinion on civility, grace, poise, beauty, purity or whatever else, and I can tell you right now that you are more than welcome to have that opinion and you have the right not to tattoo your own body.

See one thing about me? I believe in sovereignty. If I am someone who is able to respect you enough to let you make choices for yourself, then surely you could return the favour.

But still, you’ll have to put up with a lot. That is why I say you need to be someone who can form your own thoughts and stand by your choices.

If you are seriously considering going through with something like this, I implore you to think long and hard about the implications, ramifications and the long hard stares you are going to get.

But also, grow a pair and realise you are your own boss.

Know that you give your own tattoos meaning, no one else. We are all individuals on this earth and you get to decide for yourself who you are.

Too many times, people say to me: “I want one, but I can’t get one because ‘so and so’ would not like it.”

And honestly, I’d rather be covered head to toe in tattoos and be shunned by society than ever be forced to live and breathe the way someone else wants me to.

Also, to be frank, tattoos are not entirely permanent. They can be removed. Just saying. There are lasers that are blasted at the ink, which then gets removed by your body’s natural process.

So it’s really not even that deep. In fact, I think it may be the least deep thing in existence. I especially realised this a few years ago.

I was modelling for a big Namibian brand. The top earners on the set, the director of photography, the director and the producer, were adorned with beautiful and colourful tattoos. They wore shorts and backwards caps.

Alas, conservatism and conformity as a means to be taken seriously is a lie.

And I refuse to play along.

• Anne Hambuda is a writer, commentator and poet. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.