Tatau part II

Tatau Part II
March 20, 2012
By: Gina Yoryet Roman



Body art has always been a controversial issue due to its origin especially because long ago only criminals and prostitutes were literally branded so they would stand out.

Despite this controversy, there are many people who choose to decorate themselves with not only one or two designs but they cover their entire body.
An excellent example of this is 36 year old María José Cristerna“La Mujer Vampiro,” who is one of the most tattooed people in the world. María’s reasoning is her personal life drama.

I always try not to judge a book by its covers since I have 5 tattoos which I got at a very young and unstable age.
There is a limit to everything though, but how much is too much?

One thing that has always annoyed me about tattoos is not to be able to donate blood.
I understand that we have to be extremely careful because who wants to be infected?
There are other things they should consider before rejecting us completely. Why not do a blood test or HIV or check how many tattoos we have, how long ago we got them, are we healthy? And so forth.

This may change soon because on Thursday of this week I was listening to the radio and according to the host, there is a current bill waiting to be approved in which will allow tattooed individuals to be blood donors.

That was great news and I am still trying to figure it out though. Guadalajara has always been a very conservative city and “tapatíos” may not completely accept that because appearance is of high importance to them. It’ll be interesting to see the outcome.

That also made me wonder about “carving,” a new trend that it is unknown as to how far back it goes.
Just like “La Mujer Vampiro,” many find shelter in physical pain after having lived a personal trauma but carving is beyond temporary pain and decorating one’s body. This new method of carving is the most animalistic way to voluntary suffering.

There is so much we can do to our temple and I have to disagree with this painful method to harm our body.

The “justification," if any, is that human beings have different ways to react to pain. Some hide in alcohol, some hide their pain behind drugs and different things when they’re going through internal turmoil and don’t know how to be at ease.

Whatever the reason may be, I strongly believe that it is our duty to control our inner demons and feed our souls by doing well to others.