Inked

Keeping with the spirit of new experiences and living life to the fullest, I finally got my first tattoo a few weeks ago. It took a lot of deciding on my part as to what to get. I mean, it's there forever. Whatever I chose had to have some meaning to me, and be aesthetically pleasing as well. So...I have always loved the symbolism of the sun/moon/stars. It is also inspired in part by an e.e. cummings poem. And my children.

Mu husband and I went to get out tattoos on a Saturday afternoon. We were the only ones they tattooed all day at the parlor. The man who gave me mine, whose name is Fred, said, "There are too many people getting tattoos, and too many tattoo parlors. I think my dog has one in the back of his doghouse."

Fred has been tattooing for 30 years, and he admits freely that he hates it, he's sick to death of it. He has seen more than I can even imagine, I'm sure. I would have liked to have heard some of his stories. I had to go to the bathroom when we arrived, and they pointed me to this dingy, old tiny little restroom, with no toilet paper. I peeked my head out and asked this other guy for some. He looked around, then handed me a stack of napkins. "Here, use these," he said. I'm getting a tattoo here, I thought to myself as I sat there.

The tattoo hurt a little bit. It's on my lower right leg. I lay on the table with my leg up while Fred worked on it. I got used to the stinging pain quickly, and wondered how Todd was doing in the other room. I kept trying to look down and watch him work, to see the colors imprinted in my skin forever. I hoped he cared enough about his job to do it well. I laughed to myself about how crazy it was. I felt very, very much alive.

My tattoo didn't take too long, and I was able to watch Todd's as it was completed. His bled a lot more than mine. He got an Iowa Hawkeye logo on his right upper arm. When we were both done, we went to a Mexican restaurant and I had a very tasty vegetarian burrito and a strawberry margarita.

Now, after a few weeks of swelling, itching and peeling, my leg feels back to normal, and I like my tattoo. I think I may have them retouch it a little and add some yellow to the sun so it's not so red, but other than that, I am happy with my decision. And I absolutely cannot wait to get another one.