8/8/2019 Tattoos Past

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My tattoos are both personal to me. The second one more so than the first.

The first one I got when I was 19. Gordon (my future husband), Winston (his best friend) Winston'sgirlfriend and I all drove to Oromocto to see a guy that Winston knew to get them done.

I can't remember what Winston got for the life of me. His girlfriend was only 17 at the time and so

couldn't get one. The “artist” wouldn't do anyone under 18 and asked for identification.

Gordon and I had designs that I drew tattooed on. His was a panther climbing down over rocks andmine was a small unicorn. I know, not very original, but I designed and drew them and it meantsomething at the time. Oddly enough, when Gordon went through basic training in Cornwallis (one of the last classes through), his company mascot was a panther. I can't remember what came first, thetattoo or basic.

The tattoo itself was a right of passage for me. Just a small show of my individuality at the time. I gota tattoo before it was “cool” or accepted by the masses in general. Maybe a small rebellion against mythen step-mother or something. Although it was never something to show her to prove anything. I keptit to myself. I didn't tell my Dad or my mother about it until long after it was done. I knew Dadwouldn't mind. And I saw nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think both of my grandmothers saw it before any other of my family members.

I was in community college at the time taking Data Processing (which turned out to really be computer  programming) and my instructor almost got a punch in the nose over that tattoo. I was wearing a white blouse with a camisole under for modesty and he walked by behind me and noticed the unicorn throughthe fabric of the blouse. Instead of saying anything to me first, he touched it....I don't like beingtouched without warning and especially by people I'm not already close with. He was not one of the people who I didn't mind touching me. I didn't say anything, because he was too busy making somesort of snide comment about me being tattooed and thus wouldn't have heard me anyway. I was lessthan impressed and told him so. I later learned that because of this and another such incident hedecided I was out to get him. Odd character...but not too far off the mark ;) Let's just say that myregard for an instructor who starts a two year program with 13 students and ends with 4 graduates isless than high. I'm sure he did the best that he could and was very good at what he did. As Michelsaid: “Oh, they got a geek to be a teacher...mistake.” Although, my Accounting instructor was kind of ageek...and he was a great instructor. I thought he was great...but I digress...

The second tattoo I got when I was 25. Another right of passage for me. I have a rather large yellowand orange lily on my left calf...and climbing out of the lily is a dragon. Again, a design I drew. Thelily symbolized the life I had led up until then. The safe place I had been nurtured as I was allowed to become who I was at 25. The dragon was the real me trying to emerge but not yet ready for flight. Alot tougher than people expected. A bit of steel in a soft wrapper. It turned out to be a bit more prophetic than I expected, as one of the very hardest times in my life was just around the corner and Ihonestly think it's amazing that I survived. Let's just say that the dragon got caged and almostirreparably damaged before fledging. But the gods help anyone who ever tries something like that withme again...but again, I digress.

Originally the dragon was supposed to be blackwork, but the tattoo artist cautioned against it, worryingthat it would be too indistinct in years to come. Instead, the dragon is green with a yellow belly and hekind of looks like he is meant to be in the lily...like he is coloured to blend in. The green is the same asthe lily stem and the yellow is the same as the highlighting on the lily. I think it was a good choice and

8/8/2019 Tattoos Past

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I'd go back to Marie any time.

It was at Merchant Marie's in Dartmouth by the way. I found her table-side manner a bit to be desired, but her professionalism I do not question. I think part of her manner was because she thought I had noidea what I was asking when I walked in and she expected me to change my mind part way through.I'm sure I in no way looked like her usual customers nor did I then have the attitude she'd expect. I

went with Gordon (he took me) and I was shy and quiet and nervous (as I can be around new peopleand was worse back then). I was 125 pounds, 5”8”, dressed in white cut-offs, a little t-shirt andsneakers and likely looked like a sweet little young wife with two clues (you know...one gone to try tofind the other?). She told me it would be $200 to do it because it was custom (this was 15 years ago)...Isaid that was ok. She said she'd need a photocopy...I handed her three...she said I'd have to pay cash upfront...I looked at Gordon, he handed me the money and I handed it to her....she said that once shestarted it was too late, it was non-refundable...I said ok, where do you want me. Then she gave up andtook me to the table/chair (I think it was a dentist's chair kind of affair, really comfortable) and got mesettled and we talked about the design. I figure she tried everything that she thought would scare meand then decided that if I was that determined that she'd go for it.

We spent two hours together, Marie and I. Both of us mostly silent. She worked away and remindedme once in a while that I needed to relax the muscle a bit. I'd apologize and relax my calf, then she'dcontinue. I think we both had a great time actually. She was able to work without chatter and havingto be social. I got to lay there and think and just take in the experience without awkward small-talk...Ihate trying to make small-talk. It hurt, I'm sure it did...not that I remember that much now. I mostlyremember realizing periodically that I had tensed up again, apologizing and relaxing the muscle...Idon't really remember much about the pain of 'getting' the tattoo.

 Now the pain of the healing for the first few days...I remember that very well indeed. Gordon and I hada very large black lab named Cain. He had a long, hard tail. When I was sitting on the couch or walking around, the tattoo was just at tail level for him. Having that thing repeatedly thumped upagainst the 6” round hornet sting (because that's what it felt like for the first few days) was anexperience I'm not eager to repeat. The tattoo was swollen a quarter inch above the rest of my calf for the first three days...and it was like a target for that damn tail.

But all in all, the pain and the odd tattoo parlor experience was worth it. I remember saying I'd never get one that big again...I'm not so sure any more. I have a tattoo in mind that I'd like to get someday.And I think it'll be worth the pain and the aggravation to get it done. In fact, I think I'll be starting tosave up for that now. Yeah. I can sacrifice something else for the tattoo I want. So I guess...here wego again ;)