Arro's Modifications

Name: A. Arro Smith
Title: Cataloguing Supervisor
Institution: San Marcos (Texas) Public Library

I am a tattooed librarian. I got my first tattoo in 1987 while in college. I became a professional librarian in 1990.  When I got my first tattoo, I really didn’t know anyone else who had one. My best friend was getting married, and I was the “best man.” We decided that we needed to both get tattooed as part of his bachelor party. It was 1987, and not only did we not know anyone with a tattoo, we did not know any tattoo artists either. (It wasn’t fashionable yet.  Nice white kids from the suburbs just didn’t get tattoos back then.) By doing some extensive networking, we finally found an artist who met our criteria: 1) used reputedly sterile instruments, 2) had an art degree, & 3) would make the 70-mile out-call from Dallas to the small college town we lived in.

I wish I could remember the guy’s name. All I remember was is that he had an MFA from Stanford, and he told really scary stories about Vietnam. We both got our first tattoos on our upper thighs: a yellow rose for my Drew, and a “dancing skeleton” Grateful Dead logo on for myself. I loved the privacy that my first tattoo's location afforded me—I could choose who and when I wanted to share it. At the pool I could conceal it with a pair of trunks, or I could wear a Speedo to show it off.  People were fascinated by it (it was still the ‘80s).

I got my second tattoo in 1989 while I was in library school. This one was more public: a rose on my left upper deltoid. I got it to make me look tough. I had always been a pretty anemic looking guy: a sissy, never active in sports, bookworm. And now I was getting a degree that would give me the “pink collar” of librarian. Also, after years of being a confused bi-sexual, I had finally come completely out of the closet. If I was going to be a gay librarian, I wanted to be more intimidating physically. The rose on my deltoid was perfect. I could easily conceal it with a polo shirt; yet when I desired, I could go sleeveless and become instantly more interesting--and more intimidating to many. The rose itself was an apropos symbol. I wanted something iconic in the tattoo world; yet a symbol of vulnerability. I wanted something tough, classic, yet soft and pretty. And the rose went along with my Grateful Dead motif from the first tattoo. Ironically, the tattoo itself did not make me very tough (surprise). I kept looking at it and thinking that it would look even tougher if there was a muscle under that rose tattoo. Hence, I joined a gym and actually became the physical man I have always wanted to be.

Ten years after getting my first tattoo, I went to visit my buddy who I had originally gotten tattooed with at his bachelor party. He and his wife were now living in the San Francisco area, and I planned to spend a month with them. When I first arrived, Drew suggested that we get another tattoo together to celebrate our 10th anniversary. My job while enjoying San Francisco for a month, was to approach all the hot men I saw with great tattoos, and ask them where they had their work done. It was a great way to meet alot of men! (my first priority). I found that a statistically significant number of the men I spoke with had gone to Lyle Tuttle's shop in San Francisco. Lyle Tuttle--a rather famous tattoo artist--no longer works, but the proteges at his studio are carefully picked. Drew had a pair of iguanas put on his shoulder, and I had a Polynesia-esque band designed for my other arm.

I love my armband. It's significantly larger than my other tattoos. It looks really tough. And it is an original design that belongs uniquely to me. It is also easily concealed by a polo shirt, though just barely. When I'm in a position at the library where I'd like to look more intimidating (especially when dealing with young adults), I can casually flex my biceps enough to show the bottom edge of the tattoo.

All of my tattoos are easily concealable, by design. My ability to function well in any social context is very important to me. What I like best about myself is the many different aspects of my personality and social life: I am the dutiful son who impresses my parent's friends at their club. I am the professional librarian who can find information efficiently without intimidating my patrons. I am a diplomatic spokesperson for HIV-related issues at the state legislature. But I am also an in-your-face ACT-UP demonstrator. I am a ripped and lean body-builder. I am a favored guest at after-hours sex parties. I look fierce shirtless at a circuit party.

My co-workers are always shocked when they find out I am tattooed. The only time they see the tattoos are when I change clothes at work before going to the gym or to the pool. I love their reactions. My co-workers simply accept my tattoos with the rest of my attributes: intelligent, gay, tactful, beautiful, relentless AIDS fundraiser, married (to a man), and charming.

My lover and I have an erotic website at http://www.io.com/~arro/page

My resume can be found at http://www.io.com/~arro/res

Back To The Modified Librarian

This free homepage hosted by BME/World.