Do you have a tattoo? If so, what’s the story behind your ink? If you don’t have a tattoo, what might you consider getting emblazoned on you skin?
I do not have any tattoos. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that my mother is vehemently opposed to them and I think she would make passive aggressive comments about my tattoo(s) for the rest of her life. Some people say so what, but stubbornness runs in my family and we’re not great at letting things go. I don’t want a tattoo that badly.
Another big reason for me is that I would be afraid of my tattoo getting messed up. Arm tattoos can be quite nice when done right. I happen to ride my bike a lot and be a clumsy person. Though I’ve had no major spills in the two years I’ve been actively riding road rash is a thought that runs in the back of my head. What if I were to get a tattoo on my arm then biffed it? Same goes for leg tatttoos, not that I would get one of those. Would the universe be nice enough to preserve my tattoo and go after the rest of my skin? There’s also the issue of hospitalization or surgery? What if that is where they need to put an IV or something? What if I’m unconscious and they don’t have my adhesive allergy on file and put tape over my tattoo? Will the rash cause issues for me?
Oh and I’m terrified of needles. Super terrified. I try to avoid them at all costs.
Those are the three main reasons that I don’t have a tattoo.
Now if I were to get a tattoo it would be on my arms or my shoulder. I would consider a writing tattoo with a nice short snappy quote. I know someone who has “Be Bold” and someone else who has “This Too Shall Pass.” I wish I’d thought of either first. Writing is beautiful and so is the English language. This would be on my lower forearm, probably on the left side or the inside of my upper right arm.
In my younger days while serving as a minion at my student newspaper I briefly considered a trampersand. Then I realized that trampersand is a thing and I have no desire to be that person.
Then there are animals. Otters are my spirit animal and when people ask for my website I am tempted to give them a link to a Gif of an otter rather than my actual website. They are just the greatest. A few years ago I found this t-shirt on Urban Outfitters. A black and white outline of an otter similar to this would be great. Probably on my upper right arm on the outside.
I recently become a bit obsessed with drawing foxes. I don’t know how this happened but I’ve started following otter boards on Pinterest and filling up sketchbooks with different ways of drawing them. I suppose that they make the short list for that alone.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character in Stranger Than Fiction had several tattoos and they were an integral part of her swagger as a person. I think there are tattoo people and non-tattoo people. (There are also the inbetween people who don’t have visible tattoos but I would never be one of them.) In fleeting moments I think I could totally rock that and then I’m like but you won’t. One of the three big reasons creeps up and stops me.