When I was growing up, if I had told my parents I wanted a tattoo, they would have told me ~ in language that revealed their displeasure ~ that I would definitely not be getting a tattoo while living under their roof. Back then, a tattoo was the mark of a rebel and usually seen only on sailors, prisoners and bikers.
My son Hunter, a successful and published documentary photographer, has several tattoos. I had no problem with them because each one was a symbol of who he was at that time in his life.
He tells me that tattoos, like the photos he takes, tell a story. Not only one that’s etched in ink on the skin, but also a story as to why the person got the tattoo in the first place. The artwork can symbolize a rite of passage, a love pledge, a memorial or an achievement.
Women going through a divorce will often get a butterfly tattoo because it symbolizes rebirth. As one explained to me, “After feeling so rejected, I wanted to mark myself with something that made me feel unique…beautiful.”
In new home sales, you stamp yourself with whatever image you have of “you.” Just as tiny punctures infuse the skin with pigment to form a tattoo, your self-concept punctures your life with thousands of subliminal messages. These form an image of you that others observe in your actions, speech and appearance.
As with a tattoo, what you feel on the inside is reflected on the outside.
