Nice tats…

I’m fascinated with tattoos. Have been- well, for as long as I can remember. In other posts, I’ll share my own stories, art and reasons, and those of a couple other people (oh you know who you are!) who share the love of body art.

Today, I wanted my twitter pal @unaveragejen to share her story with you guys.

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I got my first tattoo at 18. I know, right? Rebellious. I’d been waiting years to get inked and now I was of age. This was also the right around the time my closest uncle was killed in a car accident.

He and I were only a few years apart and grew up together. I spent a number of months looking for something that would remind me of him. The only thing I could think of was how much I missed him and the heartbreak I felt for his two, very young, children left behind. I was only “allowed” to get the tattoo on my lower back. Yep, the tramp stamp.

Y’all should probably know my then boyfriend, turned husband, turned ex-husband was a controlling asshat. This was also to be my ONLY tattoo.

I heart my tramp stamp

Simple, tramp stampy. He’s been gone over 8 years now, but I still think of him every time I see it.

Many people with tattoos know that it is almost impossible to stop at just one.

I was with my ex-husband for 6 years.  I met him when I was 16 years old. He was all I knew. I felt lost and afraid when we divorced. I didn’t think anything would ever be alright again.

Breathe deep. Believe. Start again.

I got my second tattoo two months after my divorce.

I decided that I still wanted my tattoos to be in an area that is easily able to cover up.

I went to my back again. My second tattoo is in the middle of my back, to the right side. It sits right where I wear my bra.

It reminds me that when everything feels crazy and insane I just have to believe that everything is going to be alright. Everything happens for a reason.

Now I have an amazing 2 year old daughter and I’m preparing myself for the opportunity of a lifetime. I was scared and ashamed back then about the state of my marriage, but now I’m so happy with where my life is and so happy I went through those hard times.

My third tattoo was also at a rather challenging time for me. I was living in a place I didn’t want to live and where I felt like I didn’t fit in. I thought I was stuck. Stuck because my family was there and I needed them to help me take care of my daughter. I was a single parent and terrified to step out and try something new, without a safety net.  Even though I was miserable where I was, I thought I had to stay because I couldn’t do it by myself.

My best friend gave me my wake up call. He told me “you only live once and you have to love the life you are living.” If I’m happy and loving life, my daughter will be happy too.

I chose “live with passion” on my right foot. I decided last minute to add the flower. I got the tattoo the first time I was in Hawaii and the flower, a plumeria, was my favorite flower.

I’m still living in that place I feel so stuck, but I am moving 6,000 miles away in a few weeks. I am so excited about what the future holds and I know that, no matter what, I need to be happy with my life.

My fourth (I told you, addicting) tattoo was my most recent. I got this tattoo on my most recent visit to Hawaii. It is very simple in an area not as easy to hide. But this is the name of my daughter. And I might add more pizazz to it later. 😉

My angel on my shoulder

I LIKE tattoos, I always have. I LIKE that each of my tattoos tells about a part of my life. I also enjoy tattoos on other people. Seeing a man with ink gets me going.

I’ve been asked a number of times what I’m going to do when I’m 90 and wrinkly. First of all, no one needs to be looking at my wrinkly, 90 year old ass. If they do? That’s not my issue. Looking around, there are a lot of people these days that have one or more tattoos. Aren’t most of them going to get 90 and wrinkly too? The way I see it, geriatrics is going to be a lot more interesting when I’m 90.

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This is why I love meeting people on twitter. What a badass chick. You can read more of her amazing adventures and see her fabulous photography on her blog “Outside Looking In“.