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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Comfortable in my own skin


I got my tattoo when I turned 45. It was my birthday present to myself. Some would view it as the product of a mid-life crisis. I just viewed it as my time for a tattoo.

I found the design online at luckyfish.com. The designer is Pat Fish. She has a studio in Santa Barbara. You can buy her tattoo designs online though. That's what I did. Then I took the design to a local tattoo studio -- Slave to the Needle. It took the tattoo artist about four hours to copy the black portion of the design onto my arm. I went back three months later to add the green shading. That was another two hours.


The design has two celtic dragons intertwined in internal battle on my arm. It completely encircles my arm. And yes, the worst part was when the tattoo artist was working on the underside of my arm. But all in all, it was worth it.

I can't really verbalize why it was worth it, but I have never regretted getting my tattoo. I don't hide it. I am not self conscious about it. And I don't feel like a silly middle aged man for getting it. It is part of me and it will always be a part of me. It wasn't a whim. I thought about it a great deal before I got it.

Tattoos aren't for everyone. I probably won't ever get another one, but this one, well...this one is mine and it is me.

I like my tattoo. I feel comfortable in it and it helps remind me to always be comfortable in my own skin. That is an important thing to remember.

13 comments:

Steve said...

Tatts the way I like it aha aha!

Harmony said...

Well Tim I have definitely decided to get a tattoo as you would know by reading yesterday's post. I love yours, I love the green colours in it. Mine will only be a little one, just a matter of choosing it now.

We can be a couple of trendy old buggers together....lol.

BlazngScarlet said...

That's a beauty Tim!

I got my tatt when I was 23.
I had just broken off with my fiancee who HATED tatts, and for him, I didn't do it.

I showed HIM!

lol

Now I want another one .... just not sure what.

Hayden said...

I really like your tat. I don't like the heavy celtic bars that encircle (I always think, 'lock in') in a single dark color. But I love the color in yours, and the dimensionality that it offers.

I got mine when I was in my late 30's. It was NOT acceptable at the bank, but mostly it didn't show. Very scandalous it was-in those days. People used to take me off to a quiet corner and ask if they could 'ask a personal question - do you have a tattoo?' I soon learned to respond, "if you're asking, you know the answer." Of course, what they were really saying is "will you show me" LOL!

I'd have done it much earlier if I could have thought of a design and place.......

Kindness said...

I love the celtic design! It looks good on you Tim!

Time said...

Steve,
Very punny!

Angel w/o wings, The choosing is the fun part. And what do you mean trend OLD buggers? :)

Blazngfyre, You should fly to Australia and get one with Angel w/o wings.

Hayden, I am not suprised that you worked in a bank and had a tattoo. I got my ears pierced before it was common practise for men for the same reason.

Thanks Kindness. I can never be pinched on St. Patrick's Day. :)

Naughti Biscotti said...

I love your tat. Anything celtic gets my approval. Yours is especially cool. I've been thinking about getting another tattoo, but I can't seem to come up with a good reason.

Just yesterday one of my clients had an eye tat on the back of his head (so he could tell his kid that he has an eye in the back of his head). He also had these huge button type things in his ears. They were at least 1 inch in diameter. Maybe you should think of doing that next.

Hayden said...

well, GETTING the tat and the job weren't really related. I guess I got it in spite of the job, not because. I'd wanted one for years, but couldn't choose one.

Time said...

Shandi, I kind of draw the line at body mutilation. Besides, the stud earrings hurt enough. I can't imagine what it would feel like to shove a one inch steel cylindar through my ear (or any other body parts).

Hayden, I still respect you.

anna said...

That's a lovely tattoo.

I've been seriously considering getting a tattoo since I was 29. At the time I was having a major "oh-my-god-i'm-turning-30" crisis. Now, almost seven years later, I'm still not 100% certain I want to have that sort of permanent marking on my body or that I'll still be happy about it when I'm 70.

Time said...

Thanks Anna, a tattoo is something you have to be pretty sure about before you get it. But when you do know, you know.

Anonymous said...

That's a beautiful tattoo. They aren't for me, but every one of my kids has one, girls and boy alike. They have equally good reasons for their body art.

Time said...

Thank you Kat. I never get tired of it (which is very fortunate).