Mom tattoos
Categories: Just For Moms, Life & Style
When I was growing up in the 70's, the only people I ever saw with tattoos were on older men who had been in the military and carnival workers. Even in 1994, when my 1 year old son barged in on my sister, who was taking a shower, and saw her undisclosed tattoo of a flower on her hip and excitedly shared with the rest of the family, "Jojo! Flower! Butt!" having a tattoo still had an aura of taboo-ness about it.
However, earlier this fall while packed in a hot and airless gymnasium for a school event, a quick look around revealed that I was one of the very few un-inked moms in attendance. There were bear paws on cleavages, butterflies on ankles, curlicues on lower backs, and up-swept hair revealed exotic symbols on the back of necks. One mom even had a heartbreaking portrait of a baby's face along with a name and date on her bicep as a permanent memorial.
My not having body art has more do to with a lack of focus than an aversion to the practice as I have never been able to come up with a design I won't get tired of. A quick peek at the photo album was a good reminder of how quickly styles can change. My ratted and teased 80's hair (thankfully!) wasn't permanent, but a Boy Toy or Izod alligator tattoo would have been.
But perhaps I've been over thinking the process. Maybe I should consider a tattoo as merely a reminder of what my life at this point in life was like for when I become old and forgetful. Using that line of thinking, here's are some possible ink ideas:
- A flaming soccer ball shaped like a skull with a gold tooth: because beside running everyone to games and practice, before all this hockey mom business, soccer moms ruled the world
- A side view of a vehicle: the front half of my minivan slowly morphing into a really sweet sports car, because if that's not how it eventually works out, at least I can look at my arm and pretend
- The words: "Old Faithful" above a picture of my crock pot
- A pile of dirty laundry with "Lather, Rinse, Repeat"
- A television with: "Mother's Little Helper"
After much deliberation, I decided I don't need to include my sons' names in a tattoo, as the stretch marks that remain from each of them seem to be here for keeps.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mae 10-27-2008 @ 10:41AM
I too am a mom that is not yet inked. I am 28 years old, and have had plenty an opportunity to add my expressions of life and it's purpose, who I am, etc to my body. I wouldn't go so far as to say that those who have not done it yet, have a lack of focus? Half the women who get them, did it drunk, while in HS, or just for fun. Rarely was it done with focus. They are pretty honest about it too. The majority just did it. It was the simply just the "cool thing" for my generation to do, so we just did it.
If I got a tattoo today, go with an Aumakua: It's my sign (hawaiian) a tribal shark on the back of my neck behind my hair. With plumerias on either side woven in.
That's just my observation...I do live in So Cal, and we tend to be just "trendy" for the sake of it. So I guess that's it.
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Joy 10-27-2008 @ 11:23AM
I just have to tell you Angie that this post made me really smile. Your idea's are hilarious. I love the van morphing into a sports car and your crock pot!! You really did crack me up with this.
I have two tattoo's. One is a tiger lily on my abdomen that nobody will ever see (except for when I enter the nursing home). I got it on my 40th birthday and put it there because it will never be seen. I also have a little pink flamingo on my ankle with my boys initials done it the grass at the bottom of it. You wouldn't know they were there if you didn't know.
I wasn't drunk and actually did give it a lot of thought. I was bored I think with my life and wanted to go a little WILD. Get a little change. I guess in the scheme of things, in my little "slump," I could have done much worse.
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Ellen from MindBites.com 10-27-2008 @ 1:13PM
AWESOME POST!!!! I love the ideas that she comes up i.e. flaming soccer ball and minivan tattoos. Being a mom who is not planning on getting a tattoo, I find these to be very funny.
I do hope that mom's who are bored and get tattoos to spice up their life do not regret it later.
http://www.mindbites.com/content/the-baby-formula
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mamaloo 10-27-2008 @ 3:21PM
I got my first tattoo (still my only, but I have plans to change that) when I was 19. It was a rite of passage marker for me (I had moved out of home the year before, still in highschool, when my parents finally divorced and kicked me out and was in grade 13 - since abolished - and 19 is the drinking age here - a big year in my life).
I spent a month choosing my tattoo, conscious that one day my grandkids would see it. I chose two interlocking hearts that was on the cover of a book of poetry, and didn't realise until a decade later that it was a heart version of the star of David! Haha! It's on my right shoulder blade.
I have plans for a second one, much more involved, for my arm. It will be a ball of yarn with two needles stuck in it, a scrolled banner overtop will say "I Knit Life" and the yarn coming down the bottom will form my two son's names.
You can see a photo of my tattoo and a sketch of my next one here: http://momcast.blogspot.com/2006/09/i-tattoo-do-you.html
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