At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)
Since last week's what if went over like a lead balloon (I forgot to mention the androids. That might have helped), I'm cheating this week and finding something from Twitter...
What if tattoos just randomly appeared on our skin at key points in our lives and we had to figure out what they meant for ourselves.— Relatable (@ReIatableThings) August 18, 2017
After my dad died, I thought it a good idea to have a memorial tattoo put on my arm. What if it had just appeared there post-dad instead?
ReplyDeleteAs long as the mystery tattoos didn't appear on my face or hands, then I'd be up for finding meaning in them. Perhaps then they'd fade away once meaning had been derived?
Who knows? Although, I think you'd want a memorial tattoo to live on even after the meaning has been worked through.
DeleteThat would be interesting. Then I wonder if after we figured them out, they would be removed?
ReplyDeletebetty
Well, to me, that would suck. I love the artisticness (my own word I think..oh well:)) of a tattoo but I am beginning to hate them. I just wonder what they will look like when one is old and the skin is flabby. OK sorry back to your question....i don't think I want to know if bad things happen like if I saw a death skull. I would also hate it if they never disappeared. I can just see death skulls and blechy things on my body while someone else has rainbows and unicorns.
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on tattoos myself, so I would hate the marring of the skin. But, it's an interesting idea to ponder.
DeleteSkin I think is the biggest organ in or on the human body. It sends all kinds of signals to us everyday, so why not add a gene or two at the very start up of life that would make it possible. Sort of an additional information system that you could check out everyday the way people check out the iPhone's everyday.
ReplyDeleteA health check for your body on your skin? I could totally see that in a sci fi novel.
DeleteOh I could always come up with a meaning for them I think but I would rather have them come with a book that just goes ahead and tells me! lol....I have no tats. My generation did not seem to get into them as much as the generation of my kids. I actually did design one that I was going to have my grandkids initials added too but due to the Fibro and reading up on tats and Fibro decided it best not to go for it.....and the design I came up with was a hope tat for the cure for Fibro! haha
ReplyDeleteHave you shown that design on your blog? I bet your readers would love to see it.
DeleteSounds a little like The Illustrated Man. And it makes me think that if it's up to us to figure out, than it can mean anything we want, so it's kind of meaningless. In a way.
ReplyDeleteOooh I like this topic. I'd think that some would think they figured out the meaning then realize later on it was something way different.
ReplyDeleteI can see that story. That's a great setup.
DeleteThat's interesting. I think the really fun part would be figuring out someone else's tattoos/hearing other people translate your own tattoo.
ReplyDeleteKinda like dreams? That would be interesting. I bet there would be people who would specialize in that sort of thing.
DeleteInteresting. Hopefully it wouldn't mean we were getting characterised into various groups, against our will, maybe dividing family and friends. (Sorry. I tend towards grim.)
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it appears in a place I can conceal it but It's a spooky idea, fraught with all kinds of edginess.
ReplyDeleteWould those sorts of tattoos be the kind that should be concealed, though?
DeleteI think that's a cool idea. I'd hate to have a tattoo of a traumatic moment, though. We'd be able to read each other and know about another's life more than ever.
ReplyDeleteEspecially if one could easily decipher what someone else's tattoo meant.
DeleteHave you seen the Disney movie Moana? Maui's tattoos appear when he does things. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'd hate it. I can't even stand for my nails to be painted. Well, my toenails are fine. But I hate seeing bright colors on my fingers. And then when the paint chips? Argh. I guess a tattoo wouldn't chip, but it would still drive me crazy since I couldn't wash it off. :-/
No, I haven't seen Moana. Maybe that's where the tweet came from?
DeleteThis is pretty much how it already happens. People are always trying to find meaning in your tattoos.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Kinda true...
DeleteCool! I'm reminded of tattoos as magical wards. This twist just might inspire a short story. ~grin~ Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOooh, magical wards... I like.
DeleteI think I'd freak out trying to figure out the meanings, the patterns behind when they appear (and why) and when/what is going to appear next. It would probably drive me insane. (Although I'm just a short walk from insane right now, so...)
ReplyDeleteBut if you expected it, kinda like weird dreams... But I see your point. It might be more anxiety producing.
DeleteI have recurring dreams where this happens!
ReplyDeleteStrange. I guess there are no truly new ideas, eh? ;)
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