Life is messy. Life is short. Carpe diem.
salad days
At age 27, I was living free and single. Throwing caution to the wind was one of my favorite pastimes. The more outrageous, the better. When my friend Robyn suggested we got tattoos, I was in.
a tiny nondescript tattoo
Not wanting show it off unnecessarily it was placed on my lower back (no, not a tramp stamp). The tattoo was about one inch long and had tiny hearts and flowers on it. How sweet. If you didn’t know, I hate sweet. Barf!
By positioning the tattoo on my back, not only was it discreet, but I didn’t have to look at it and get tired of it as well. What a smart thing to do! Now I could be bold and understated at the same time.
20 year anniversary
Now, I am 47 years old. Hard to believe 20 years eclipsed since the tattoo. I don’t feel older.
The past year, I contemplated the significance of the tattoo. What did it mean? Looking back, I think it was a big up yours to the world. I did it because I could and didn’t think hard about what I wanted imprinted on my back for the rest of my life.
I don’t regret getting or having it. Why didn’t it express something other than cute and little and sweet (barf again).
Hmmm… Maybe it was time for the tat to evolve into something else. My family is convinced it’s a mid-life crisis. Certainly is possible. Does it really matter? What reasons could I have to get inked again.
I feel a list coming!
5 reasons to get a tattoo
- that nagging itch. I’m not talking about the healing process. That itches too. It’s one of those thoughts I couldn’t let go of until complete.
- make it something beautiful. Yawn. There is nothing wrong with little hearts and flowers. On the other hand, there is nothing remarkable about them either.
- celebrate mermaidness. Being a mermaid is a joy. There are lots of options for mermaid inspired tattoos.
- it can still be subtle. Well, maybe subtle is not the right word. You can only see this if I show you. It could remain hidden under business attire.
- because I can. Somethings never change. This time, it was all about me and not the action itself. That is what 20 years can accomplish.
girl time
Who thought getting inked could be a great excuse for girl time? Avery and Cate accompanied me for moral support. Like childbirth, I didn’t remember how it felt getting stabbed a zillion times with a tiny needle.
at the tattoo parlor with Cate and Avery
After searching Pinterest for several weeks, I settled on an Arte Nouveau style mermaid. Both Avery and Cate helped choose the perfect mermaid. Cate (mermaid photographer extraordinaire) offered to photograph and shoot vids of the ordeal event. Nothing left but to do it!
happy days ahead
Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Sure it didn’t tickle, but I have a fairly high pain tolerance. 3 hours later and we were done. She turned out beautiful.
Do you have any ink? Is it something you did on a dare, a whim, or something else. Does it mean anything to you other than a night you would rather forget? Share your thoughts and stories.
arte nouveau mermaid
A big thank you goes out to Avery, Cate and Johnny Bevaro; the artist who created the beautiful tattoo. xoxoxox
