Search for a Tattoo
I want a tattoo. Not this Tattoo:
I want some sort of artistic representation of my being living forever upon my body. I decided by the time I was 35, I would have a tattoo. I have exactly 668 days to decide what sort of tattoo I should get and where I should place said tattoo.
For the record, this is not any sort of mid-life crisis. I am not trying to be cool or recapture my lost youth. I believe in the intrinsic indescribable value of art and want to make my body, at least in a small way, artistic. I figure I could either lift weights and mold myself into a perfect physical specimen of man... or I could have someone stick a lot of needles in my body. Amazingly enough, I choose the needles.
Location, location, location.
Where do I place this art? My friend, Paycjeck, has two tattoos, one on each shoulder. Shoulders are very much the manly place to put your tattoo, I think. Not that Paycjeck is overly manly. I'm not saying he's underly manly either. Anyway.
From what I have noticed, a lot of women go for the lower back, with part of the tattoo teasingly hidden beneath the waist of the jeans. I can't go this route because a) I am not a woman and 2) I want to be able see the thing.
I guess I could do the leg. Or the stomach, but I bet that hurts a lot. Upper back has that same I-can't-see-the-damn-thing problem. I would like it to be in a place that is not readily visible, but not in a place only my wife would see. I have a feeling I am going to end up with the shoulder.
What the heck should it be?
I have considered a sword. Or a dragon. Maybe a lion. All of these have some meaning to me. And that's important. I don't want to just have some cool art on my body - I want it to mean something to me. I bet there are tattoo sites out there I could browse. Anyone know of any good ones?
I suppose I could do something to honor my children. Or Sharon. Or family in general. Family means everything to me, so maybe that's the direction I should head.
Well, if anyone has any ideas, feel free to throw 'em out there.
posted by Matt @ 2:27 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Matt Sprengeler here (I'm too lazy to get a Blogger account that I know I won't use). Having been married to a full upper-arm tattoo once upon a time, I can tell you that getting bony areas tattooed is really painful. The stomach isn't as bad.
Get a lion and a dragon flanking an upright sword, sorta like the royal seal of England.
Boy, those LJ folks sure are lazy. This is Ali.
Remember my mom? Got her tattoos for her 50th birthday. Her first is a really embellished sun on the front of her shoulder - it's gorgeous. It works really well, because she can see it, and can wear sleeveless shirts and show it, or she can cover it up.
I've decided what I want. I want a petroglyphic cat. Sounds funny, I know, but be assured that it's entirely Amy Wray's fault for getting me this coffee mug with these cats on it. So I'm going to get one of them for my 30th. I haven't decided where yet either. I may do my shoulder, too, since Mom's is so cool.
The problem with me is I am all bone! I am just preparing myself for the fact that it's going to be painful.
Lion and dragon with the sword idea is a good one, Matt. Hmmm.
Thank you, Ali, for introducing me to a new word.
pet·ro·glyph ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ptr-glf) n.
A carving or line drawing on rock, especially one made by prehistoric people.
Having a tattoo on the ankle wasn't terribly painful, though I'm told the back of the ankle can be. I like it there, because I can definitely see it when I want to, can cover it up with socks or pants when necessary, and show it off all summer with sandals.
As for what it is... well... you're going to get my heartlessly honest opinion. A dragon and a sword is a nice thought, but seems kind of... well... generic. Unless there's some particular dragon or some particular sword out there that really is special to you. Now, this isn't to say that having a dragon or a sword is necessarily bad, especially if those two items have particular meaning to you. I would just recommend looking around for something a little out of the ordinary. But that's just me. =)
Finally, keep in mind how big, how many colors, and how much. I don't know if you've asked around, but tattoos are not cheap! Mine was $75, and I just happened to get lucky with them having a special on the day I happened to go get it. Mine isn't all that involved, or big, but that was $75 six years ago.
Robyn M-K
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