#78 Deja-Too

I was reminded the other day of one of the old Star Wars movies. The sequels to the current prequels. I think it was episode 4 or possibly 5. Anyhow, I thought of the planet Tattooine. I always thought they said Tattoo-ie in the movie, but then, DMX Dolby Master Digital Sound wasn’t around twenty-five years ago.
I digress. The reason I was reminded of Tattooine was because I was in downtown Olympia, and it seemed like every other denizen of that milieu was sporting some sort of design on their flesh. Perhaps, I mused to myself, I have died and gone to Tattooine.
I, for one, have never been inclined to permanently pattern my flesh. I guess because I remember acid-washed parachute pants. Five years ago I would have used the example “polyester bell bottoms” but those are back in style so the point would have been as diluted as a wine cooler. But the point is, fashions change. If I tattooed that short cartoon guy with red-beard and giant six guns on my biceps, or Tweetybird on my left nipple, then sure as heck Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would come back in style and my tattoo would be as passé as yesterday’s bean sprout omelet.
But I have a friend who is far more fearless when it comes to such things and I noticed the other day, while I was admiring the new artwork on his forearm, that today’s tattoos employ a variety of color. The old blackish that fades to blue has gone by the wayside in favor of a rainbow of ink tones worthy of an Adobe Photoshop color wheel. Oh, there are traditionalists and self-hobbyists that stick to the tried and true black and blue. And there are the vacillating non-committalists who stick to pricking with henna. But the true artists of the needle have introduced Technicolor to their fleshy canvas.
And good thing too, because let’s face it, to some, getting new tattoos is an addiction. It’s the endorphin rush they get when that tiny needle vibrates into their flesh that brings them back just as much as the picture left behind. But herein lies the problem. At some point you run out of skin. What’s an addict to do? Some have tried to eat more. Expand their body and their canvas. Unfortunately, that expansion is like the inflation of a balloon. You just end up stretching the patterns you have. All you can really do then is fill in a little.
But not with today’s color palette. Cause there’s one ink mix that can make you a tattoo addict for all your born days. Flesh color. And it doesn’t matter what flesh color you are. A modern tattooist can use a paint chip analyzer computer program and come up with the perfect color match, wet or dry. Then if you don’t like an old tattoo, you don’t have to pay for expensive lasers. Heck no, you can tattoo on a blank spot and start over. Endorphins here we come. Mark my words, someday soon you’ll be driving downtown and you’ll see a neon sign over a dark-windowed shop. Your mind will register tattoos. But then you’ll notice it’s spelled T-A-T-T-W-O-S. Bob’s Tat-twos, for all your re-tattooing needs. What goes around comes around.
America, ya gotta love it.