December 02, 2005

TATTOOS

I've never been a tattoo person because I have a hard time imagining that I would want something on my body for forever. When my college friend interviewed the local tattoo parlor owner for a paper she wrote, the #1 tattoo for 1996 was the Tasmanian Devil. Do you know any grandpas who would want that on their biceps? I remember vividly the man who came to do maintenance on my grandma's apartment: he had a naked lady tattooed on his forearm. I'm sure that sounded like a great idea when he was 18, but not so much when he was 60.

Still, I gained a better appreciation of permanence after I read the book 7 Tattoos. And I did get tickled knowing that the Fellowship of the Ring all got the same elvish tattoo. I suppose if a tattoo means something or represents an event, it's better than the Tasmanian Devil. But I will say that the most touching tattoo story I've heard comes from Iraq.

Posted by Sarah at December 2, 2005 11:11 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Tattoos are popular for those wanting to memorialize those whom we never want to forget.

I know a soldier, where most of the unit got matching tattoos (second photo down):
http://www.ltkenballard.com/Tattoos.htm

Also the widow of one of the pilots from Big Windy 25 got this tattoo:
http://blog.siegnet.us/index.php/all/2005/11/25/happy_thanksgiving

And my friend who lost her husband in Iraq is going to get a Celtic Cross in memory of his Scottish roots.

Posted by: CaliValleyGirl at December 2, 2005 03:07 PM