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oh no! i've never been a bad influence before! how am i doing!?
well, some tattoos are tacky. but not all, by any stretch. besides, that's so a generational thing. i have no judgement for those who don't appreciate tattoos, but i expect them to keep their judgements of me to themselves.
well, i can understand about the quiet rebellion! my first tattoo was hidden under my clothes- on my hipbone. it's a good location and if it's the right size you can't see it even in most bathing suits. (well, i'm not the skimpy suit kind of gal. if you are, you'd have to move the tattoo!) my mother didn't find out for about 8 years that i had a tattoo, so it can be done. i just out and told her one day. she's the high-string type so i hadn't bothered to mention it and since it wasn't visible it was never an issue. i never had to actively hide it. these i'm not hiding but i didn't rush over to her and show them to her, either. she's a little numbed, now, though, since these will be the....let's see...6th and 7th tattoos on her kids! she hates it but knows she can't do anything about it. i think she prays for us though!
i don't have suggestions as to what to get, but if you feel strongly that you want one after you've thought about it a while, i say "go fer it." but make sure you think it over for a while. i got mine on a "whim" after going through months and months of considering what and where!
so what do you like to do? what means something to you? for example, i am an artist and i always toyed with getting something that reflected that. then i figured- tattoos are art anyway. then of course lots of people get music notes and so forth or a rose or something that reflects their nationality/heritage (shamrock, celtic knot, tribal band, etc...). then you could be like a lot of us and if there's a cartoon dude you like- do that. i have a passion for Pepe le Pew, hence the tattoo. but it's been a long-running passion, not just a "i kinda think he's cute" thing. my best friend will be getting something from a favorite album cover (she's wanted it for years and just never did it). my other best friend will be getting a Gorey cat since she loves his art and cats. there's literally no limit to what you can get!
tattoos will always be there. you need to make sure it's something that really means something to you. i think a lot of people these days are going to wake up one morning in their 60s and freak out and wonder what on earth they did when they were younger! you've really got to think "do i want this when i'm old? pregnant? teaching my 4 year old about life!?"
another thing you could do is go into a tattoo parlor or two and flip through their books (or look at the walls or however they do it at that place) and see what's there. i also am always looking at graphics in magazines- sometimes and image will catch your eye out of the blue. if it does, clip it out and put it in a folder or envelope. when you get a collection you'll be able to see what types of things move you and that will help you decide!
most people agree- the process of selecting what and where is an important and enjoyable part of getting the tattoo! take your time and experience it all!
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awesome.
#81511 - 06/21/04 10:23 AM
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jenX
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 3252
Loc: Richmond, VA
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what a nice tribute to your grandfather! i was just talking to someone today about how some "tribute tattoos" freak me out, but that's really quite lovely!
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great! i'm excited! you'll have to tell me how it looks when it's done.
maybe we can both get pics and post 'em!
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-------------------- -Sheri
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I've often thought of getting a tatoo....but when I get in the mood for one I just get the temporary ones. Ha!
Your post had a lot of meaning....I'm happy for you.
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They may be cute now, but I can't imagine how you will feel when you are 50 or 60 years old, and you have tatoos. I've done some wild and crazy things in my younger days, but none of them--- thankfully--- do I have permanent reminders of. My husband always laughs and says in a few years there will nursing homes filling with "the tatooed" wondering, "What in the hell did I do in my younger years?" I guess by the time you're in a nursing home, it won't matter. It's those in-between years that I wonder about. OK, for those of you who are wondering, I'm almost 45. So if I sound like your Mother, that's because I'm probably old enough to be your Mom!
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i'm 33!
and i agree about people wondering what they did when they were younger. that's why i just counselled to give it lots and lots of thought. this isn't something i went into lightly, nor do i believe i will regret it. after all, i got the first one 10 years ago and have never regretted it one tiny little bit.
but, admittedly, they're not for everyone!
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PLUS...
#81546 - 06/21/04 10:58 AM
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jenX
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 3252
Loc: Richmond, VA
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i shouldn't be showing that much skin when i get older anyway!
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wow jen, thanks for the detailed reply! i agree that its a totally generational thing, ah well, to each his own.
I like the hipbone idea - thats where I've thought about it before....I'm not skimpy skirt girl at all...but I DO wear low pants!!!! lol as of now thats the only place though that I can think of that would go unnoticed!!!
I completely agree with taking time and thinking of something that means something special to me. I think I'll start keeping a little scrapbook of anything I see (in magazines) or whatever that catches my eye. I could do that and then wait a while and relook at them and make sure I'm still as drawn to it as I was at first.
And ya, I dont want to wake up when I am 60 and think OMG what was I thinking!!?!?! But thats why I want a small one - not something that I want to go around flashing and showing, just a little somethin that is meaningful to me!
Thanks for the great advice and being such a WONDERFUL cyber "bad"-influence/enabler. Hehehehe!
~*Caryn*~
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