Daily Prompt: 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 a tattoo.
When I was in my late twenties, I proclaimed that I would get a tattoo to celebrate turning 30. I asked for referrals. I debated designs. And debated. And pondered. And then I turned 31.
So I set a new goal of 35, but I was very cash-poor that year. Plus, still with the design uncertainty.
35 became 40. I was pretty sure that I wanted a paw print to represent my cats and dogs, but then I confounded myself by fretting about representation – one paw for each species? each pet? Would I be forever holding my leg up so people could read the names? What if I had another 10 pets in my lifetime? Would I be morally obliged to add them? Do I count childhood pets? What about my “step-pets” with Ledcat – I consider them mine, too?
Now I’m 43 and have resigned myself to the fact that I cannot make a commitment to a tattoo. I’m not hung up on the permanency as getting it right/wrong. Wait, is that being hung up on the permanency?
It’s not the pain – although I’m sure I would panic about that right beforehand. It’s not the money. It’s not regret. It’s tied into my fear that this is a symbol of something permanent about my life and I’m not sure what that is. I’m not a believer in any formal sense and I’m not a believer in co-opting other people’s symbols.
I suppose if I were to get a tattoo, I would choose the logo of my blog. It represents something that transformed my life and allowed me to pour so much of myself into something that does represent me – words. Lots of words, nearly 8 years of words. More words that could cover my skin and my hair in several incarnations.
I don’t need a tattoo. I’ve created my own and imprinted it indelibly on the Internet. It is filled with all of the things I’d want to commemorate – family, friends, pets, triumphs, fears, random thoughts, etc. I’m not a writer or a journalist, I’m a blogger – a new species that combines amateur photos taken on my phone, hashtags, Facebook likes and all the words.
So I doubt I’ll be getting that tattoo even though I’ll turn 50 and need to drag out the “should I get a tattoo?” debate closer to that that time. It’s part of the ritual right?
I am once again participating in NaBloPoMo via BlogHer to see if I can successfully complete 90 days of blogging. I’ll use a combination of BlogHer prompts, Daily Prompts from the Daily Press and my own creativity. And of course I’ll continue to actually blog on LGBTQ news and information. I hope you’ll join the dialogue.
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I came upon your blog through NaNoBloMo, and I’m not entirely new to the world of blogging, but just recently decided I’d give it another go. I love the human condition. why people are the way they are. it’s always so interesting to read the opinions, hopes and dreams of other people.
I am tattooed. I have four tattoos. I’ve had them all for 8-10 years now. When I got them, I was fully aware of their permanence, but it didn’t bother me. After all, they are only as permanent as I am. I dream of other pieces. much bigger pieces. I’ve wanted a full arm or leg sleeve since before I sat for my first tattoo. Finding the right subject matter to dedicate such a large portion of my body to is really tricky. It’s not so much because it is permanent to me, but more about how I feel my tattoos are a reflection of who I am. What do I want to say, and broadcast to the world in a way that can’t be erased?
and you bring up an excellent point about the blogging world. I can see many parallels between how we put ourselves out there in the internet to how we wear our identities on our skin. I look forward to reading more of your blog!