As the Montana weather improves, the parkas, flannel, and sweaters will start coming off and reveal the personal Tats of many Montanans. Some will be old and others newer. Maybe they got a new Tat for the New Year. To each their own.
Tattoos have become a Big, Big Sky deal. Back in the day, tattoos were for sailors, Marines, and gypsies. Getting a tat was seen as a lifetime investment that would fade, blur, and wrinkle with age. Police records used Tats to identify people. Only a few people were Tatted up.
Getting a Tat today involves more modern skills and equipment. Elaborate Tats have become the norm. Its now rare to find people without a Tat.
Tourists like to get temporary Tats. Many enjoy getting a fake Yellowstone brand. Some may get a temporary face of one of the TV show’s characters. They survive a vacation and then a good scrubbing will return their skin back to normal.
Outdoorsmen and women love personal Tats. Their themes include the fish they catch, the critters they hunt, or the people and places they admire. The great Rocky Mountains are the background for many cool tats.
Deciding to get a tat and where to put your tat are very personal decisions. Getting names of girlfriends and boyfriends can be a bad choice when you break up. Political symbols, swastikas, flags, and other toxic markings can resurface as problems when getting a job or…
Face Tats can get weird. Fortunately, you can use makeup or temporary Tats to decorate faces. Now you can create certain looks for different seasons or holidays. A cool camo may be perfect for the Fall hunting season. A flower collage will work nicely to celebrate the Spring. Facial piercings can also be removed.
Some areas of your body may be better left alone. Faces, hands, and routinely exposed areas will show off your Tats, but the tats may not always reflect who you are or become. Tats in Low Places can become offensive or show more about “Big Thigh Country” than is intended. Too many Tats just becomes confusing.
Sleeves and entire legs are expensive and way more involved. These artistic challenges often are a chronology of a person’s life. They include parents, places, and symbols of memories.
Folks without Tats are in the minority. I never needed a Tat to tell my story. It is always fun to see the amazing body art that Sportsmen and Women display and learn about why they chose it.
Tats, Tats, everywhere a Tat!
Montana Grant
