I have a big old Cat in the Hat tattoo on my right calf/ankle. It looks pretty good, for a big old tattoo on a mother of three. I have fond memories associated with it, but it’s a sure bet that my judgment was clouded during the time when I got it. I guess I wouldn’t make a concerted effort to get rid of it, like surgery or anything, but if I could wiggle my nose and make it disappear, it would be gone today.
I also have a honeybee on my right shoulder blade with my hubby’s name beneath it. I wouldn’t get rid of it. I actually still like it, and it’s been there much longer. Don’t know what the difference is, maybe it’s that I have to make an effort to even see it.
So do any of you have any distinguishing marks on your body that you put there intentionally that you wish you didn’t have? Or are any of you very happy with tattoos that you’ve had for a long time?
Do you have kids, Mark? I have found that since mine were born that so many things my mom said are suddenly true. I would literally fall out of my chair (and quite possibly just DIE) if one of mine came home with a tattoo, or a ring through some body part, or suspended for smoking, or any of the other 7,000 things I did to make my mom miserable.
It gives me cold chills to think about some neighborhood roughneck talking my precious darlings into doing something like that, something they might regret forever. (Of course it’s simply not possible that MY KIDS might do something so wrong of their own accords - they’re MY kids, after all, and therefore darn near perfect).
Something else mom was right about: Don’t ever say your kids will “never” do this or that - 'cause they sure will.
Mostly I have “jewelry” style tatts - mine are original artwork designed for me by artists whose work I admire and with whom I spent a lot of time developing the designs.
I have a “necklace” that stretches across my chest, collarbone to collarbone with a celtic knot snake triskelion design as the center peice - and a similarly designed armband that is on my left forearm - no centerpeice yet - We’ve been uninspired. ON my left foot I have a black tribal design (ribbon like) that goes from between my big and second toes across the top of my foot (YEOWWCH!) spiraling around my leg to (currently) just below my knee. It’s in progress still, but eventually it will terminate at the point where my left hand touches my left thigh where I have already have the spiral top point (looks like a large stylized circular saw blade.)
I don’t regret any of them - they are permanent pieces of art just for me and those I choose to allow to saee them (Ok that’s almost everyone). I didn’t get them lightly either - I’m a professional and when allowing them to show is inappropriate, I am willing to accept that I may have to wear a shirt with a button up collar at least 3/4 sleeves as well as either pants or dark tights EVEN IN THE SUMMER.
A couple haven’t aged particularly well - the one on my belly for example was a set of simple line heiroglyphs about the size of a silver dollar…one full term pregnancy later - it’s 2X - 3X that size at least! I may have it covered over at some point in the future. I am in the process of losing the last of the “baby weight” and want to see how it loooks when I’m toned up some more before I decide.
Touching up an existing tatt is an option also. The quality of ink has improved greatly over the years and a touchup can make an older P.O.S. tatt look really nice.
Incidently “tattoo” was one of my kiddo’s first words. I regularly buy her temporary tattoo’s and we had a great deal of fun with Mehdi (henna paste) over the summer.
Fortune, you sound a lot like my sister. She and her hubby are heavily into body art. She even designed and updates our best local tattoo artists’ website. I’ll post a link later if I can find her to get the address.
My two little ones (ages 1 and 2) also ask for tattoos and have worn the fake ones, supplied by my sister and gasp!
even my mom.
Double standard, I guess. On them it’s cute. On me it’s permanent.
One of my favorite sayings is “the older I get, the smarter my parents get.” It’s true in my case, that’s for sure.
As for tattoos, well, my mom is not only smart, she’s very cool. She has confessed to me that she’s always wanted a tattoo, but the fact that she’s over 50 now, and it will still be there when she’s 90 has stopped her from getting one. But she did just get her motorcycle operator’s license, and a motorcycle, a couple of years ago. So if I ever decide to get a tattoo (yes, I’d kind of like one too), my mom will probably insist on going with me and getting one herself. Now that would be fun.
Mom’s may always be right, but sometimes you have to venture out into the cold cruel world and learn things the hard way rather than listening to your parents all the time. It will give your parents a chance to gloat and cluck their tongues.
Well, evidently I’m still young enough that my parents are merely annoying. Not quite as stupid as they once were, but I’m not about to take any advice they give without a chunk of salt.
Right? Hmm… mainly my mom is just mean. I still disagree with most of her viewpoints on most things, and think she did an incredibly shitty job as a mother.
Boys should learn that mothers should be protected & respected. A boy needs a man to teach him that. I wish they all did…
Mothers do the best job they can. Most of the time they are like their own mothers but may not want to agree to that.
As for marks, well I guess I didn’t listen at the time, put my finger into a parrots cage at the SD Zoo & got myself chomped on & there is a mark on my finger for the rest of my life…
I have a tattoo on the bottom left side of my lower back. No one sees it unless I am wearing low cut jeans and a belly shirt or a bikini (I just had baby #2 three and a half mos. ago so I’m not wearing any of that yet.) I’ve had this tattoo for about 5 years and my parents still don’t know about it. They probably wouldn’t say too much about it but I know they wouldn’t approve. Oh well, I always did the opposite of what my mom wanted. She’s kind of got a holyer than thou attitude about things.
