Saturday, September 27, 2014

Tattoo, you?


I do not have a tattoo, but I am fascinated by them. Tattooing is an ancient art, dating back to pre-historic civilizations. When I was growing up, you only saw tattoos on Hells Angels or at a carnival sideshow. Today, tattoos have become mainstream. Even your grandma might have one. 

Tattoos have been popularized by a bevy of rock stars, actors, and athletes. They’ve been the stars of film (Memento, The Salton Sea, The Fountain) and television (Miami Ink, America’s Worst Tattoos, Inked).
Every tattoo has a story. I’ve found that a lot of people get tattoos as a memorial or as a symbol of their love, super-fandom, or favorite hobby. And of course, there are those who get a tattoo while drunk on Spring Break…
My neighbor Sean has two full sleeves of tattoos. One arm depicts a mural of Catholic saints; his other arm has a scene with Norse Gods. He got both of them for protection when he served in the armed forces.  My co-worker Dave has a tattoo of the New England Patriots football team logo and the year of each Super Bowl win on his arm. My hairdresser Lori has 13 tattoos; although most of them are hidden from view. At least six of them are memorial tattoos in honor of her Dad, who passed away a few years ago. She has a star on her wrist, “just because she likes it.” Several of my 60-ish year old quilting friends have tattoos: Grandmother of three, Paula sports a Red Sox logo and a Tasmanian devil and has plans for a new one for her 65th birthday; Terri has a fairy on her ankle; and my friend Joanne has an outline of a shamrock. Joanne’s tattoo never got filled in because she fainted while it was in process, so the tattoo artist was forced to stop.
I must admit that I am tempted. And if I wasn’t afraid of needles, I’d probably sport a few tattoos myself. Perhaps one that read “PugMom” with the name of my three pugs underneath, or a design with a small sewing machine that says, “Born to Sew.”
What about you? Do you have a tattoo? What does your tattoo represent? If you’ve had your tattoo for more than 10 years, do you still like it? 

Author's Note: This blog post was just published (September 2014) on my Company's intranet. I was surprised and pleased that it received 18 comments, which is well above average for a blog post there.

3 comments:

  1. I have a tattoo. It is a Celtic knot which I got when i divorced Hubby 1. It is blue, it is on my shoulder, and it looks like the day it was inked. I forget i have it until someone sees it and comments on it. I was the bad girl when I worked in the corporate world of IT. I had a white men's shirt on one day with a black pencil skirt, and took a sweater off. All the geeks noticed my tat and that was all they could talk about.

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  2. I could never choose a permanent tatoo. I like variety too much. I'm a fan however, of the temporary tatoo. I sport them all summer on my ankle. Just for me. And they go away in a few weeks. LEeAnna

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  3. I have two. The first (over my right kidney) I got when I was 36 (?). It's a chrysanthemum with tobacco leaves and a ladybug, with the word "Believe" written under it. This reminds me of my 2 grandfathers, who are both closely tied to my love of ladybugs. The second (on my left shoulder blade) I got about I year ago, in memory of my close friend Billy who was killed in a car accident. He was Irish so it's a Celtic design, a shamrock with heart shaped leaves filled in an un-ending knot design. Over it are the Latin words "Sine Metu," which mean "without fear." I chose that part of my back because it's closest to my heart, and I know I never have to worry because the best guardian angel ever will always have my back.

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