Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Permanent Mark

Sunday night I was in the shower with Georgia when she pointed to my tattoo and asked,

"Did it hurt when you got dat stamp?"

Oh wait-you didn't know I had a tattoo?  Yes, yes I do.  I got it when I was 23 and yes I still do like it, even it my husband does not.  It's a dolphin-I know cliche, but they are my favorite animal.  It is on my left butt/hip area.  Contrary to what my mother thought, it did not get bigger and stretched out when I was pregnant and still looks good.  Although it could probably use a color touch up.  Not many people see it though, so whatever.  There's the back story.

"My tattoo you mean?  Yes, it did hurt when I got it," I told Georgia.  So many people have tattoos now, and with me having one, I don't want my kids to run out and get one at 15.  So yes girls, it hurt.  It hurt a lot.  And I got it in a fleshy area.  I can't even imagine the girls who get one on their ankle.  

"Oh, it does?" She asked me with a pained look on her face.

"Yes," I told her again.

Then she said to me, "I wonder what kind I will get?"

"Wait-what kind of tattoo?"  I asked.  She nodded yes.

"You don't have to get a tattoo if you don't want one," I told her.

"I don't?" 

"No, silly," I said.   "Daddy doesn't have one."

"Oh he doesn't.  Did he want one?" She asked.

"Well, he thought about getting one, but decided not to."  I said.  "So you don't have to get one when you get older either."

"Ok," this seemed to make her happy that she didn't have to get a "stamp" that hurt.   

Tattoos have become so normal these days, now kids just assume they will get one.  Don't misjudge, if my girls want to get a tattoo someday I certainly won't stop them.  That would just be hypocritical.  Well, as long as it's not on their face.  I might try and stop that.  They will, however, have to wait until they are at least 18.  I would encourage them to wait even longer.  That was why I waited until 23.  I wanted to make sure that the fun tattooing all my friends were doing on spring break that I thought about doing then, was something I really wanted to do  and not just an in the moment thing.  I have plenty of friends who regret some of the early tatts they have.  Although, by they time the girls are old enough, tattoos will probably not be the thing to do anymore.  In fact, at that point it will probably be cooler NOT to have one.  I'm fairly certain that is what my husband is hoping for.   


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