tatau

"tatau”

May 1st, 2011

By: Gina Roman

http://ya-somos-tapatios-wey.blogspot.com/2011/05/tatau.html

The word “tatoo,” originates from the Tahitian word “tatu,” or “tatau” meaning “to mark something.” There are different similar speculations according to research which in the end coincide. Another major derivation comes from the Polynesian word “ta,” which means striking something. Another version states that the word tattoo was borrowed from a Dutch word, “taptoe,” meaning “ tap to – shut the tap.

The history of the word tattoo began over 5000 years ago and it is as diverse as the people who mark themsemselves. Back in the day criminals and prostitutes were marked so they would stand out from the rest of the population; nowadays animals are also marked but in that case people use the word “brand.” Many years ago to tatto meant to classify people as low class and vulgar and many much worse classifications.

Last week school was out and there was a little more idle time so I decided to investigate this topic in more depth.The more I’ve read about it, the more intrigued I become and so this morning I woke up with this word in mind.

The reason why this word entailing body art keeps popping into my head is because I love tattoos.......... or so I did ten or fifteen years ago when I was going through the craze of youth, just like every young person, I wanted to venture new experiences and I ended up getting five of them. Looking back at my adolesence although I was never into drugs, there were many things I wouldn’t even come close to doing now.

At this stage in life I wouldn’t necessarily say I love tattos, I mean there isn’t anything wrong with them and like people say, “todo con medida,” or “sin exceso.” Everything is within a limit or without excess. In other words, I’ve been thinking about my body and what it’d be like without all those visible and colorful marks. I had never been so self-conscious or aware of my tattoos until I came to Guadalajara. Many years ago I’d walk around very proud revealing my marks and when I became a young adult I didn’t even think of them they were just there without a specific meaning.

Now that I am in my 30’s I yearn for my old body, the body that I was created with and I think of how much I’ve abused it throughout the years. If I were given the choice to mark my body now, I would be very adamant to say, “No, I don’t want to do it.”

One of the reasons why I’m so conscious about this is because many people in Guadalajara and all over Mexico are very “old-fashioned. ”They promote family, marriage, morals, values, respect, religion, yet they break their own rules behind the scenes many times. Given the nature of my work, I have met many people from all walks of life and it is very interesting to have direct contact with people, especially as they get to know me more they let more and more out. For instance some people admit how they cheat on their spouses and the fact that the only reason they got married was to secure their financial future.

I don’t want to judge anyone or be critical but when specific people have noticed my tattos they can’t hide their expressions of disgust. Someone actually did make a comment once and I told this person, “tattoos, don’t harm anyone, they are in my body,” so is a tattoo really all that bad? What about marrying someone for the wrong reasons and much worse cheating on them?”

I am not a perfect human being but as I get older I strive to become a better person and let my bad habits only affect me.

In fact the other day I told a friend about a few serious changes I’ve decided to make in my life to which he replied, “I think it’s a waste of time, you should go around experience new things now that you are still young.” I don’t have anything against his beliefs but the bottom line is that everyone will always have an opinion so that’s when we have to NOT be afraid to take a stand and fight for our beliefs and stick to them. When I was much younger I was easily influenced and many times I went with the flow, like when I got my first tattoo, I got it because someone very close to me got me into (not forced me) getting it. Another time I got into an accident on a Thursday at the crack of dawn when I was on my way to work, two days later, on a Saturday I was at a concert with my boyfriend in San Jose because he didn’t accept a “no,” since he had already bought the tickets and he didn’t want to waste his money. At the tender age of eighteen I was very vulnerable and influenced by many people unlike now. As an adult, I have a choice to whether or not I want to adopt good habits.

That includes decisions that involve my body as it is the greatest gift life has given me. As an adult I’ve decided to not accept ANY negative criticism over it, I don’t want to ever lose power over my sense of me. I don’t want to be blinded by an empty and superficial society, I don’t want to let anyone ever use it only for their own desires, I don’t want to let anyone ever think that I’m too weak only because they think that I am too skinny according to their standards, I don’t want to let anyone ever take advantage of it, I don’t want to use it to fill in a void of insecurity, I don’t want to use it in any negative aspect. When I was a little girl I didn’t have control of me nor was I able to stand out for myself but now that I am fully capable of that and I want to honor it.

With these reflections in mind, I was flipping through the bible and I found this beautiful verse:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).