Canvas

You can judge me if you want, but I kinda like tattoos.  I have 3 now and a fourth one designed in my head but I've come against an issue. I'm kind of afraid that if I get this fourth one, that I won't stop.  I see people with multiple, meaningful tattoos and I think it's reeeally cool.  Like I want to ask them what they all mean and why they got them.  It's like a story book on your body.   And then there is the "what will people think"  and you can disagree with me if you want but ask anyone with multiple tattoos...people treat them differently.  For some reason, and I don't know the history of tattoo's but they carry a stigma with them that if you have one you must be a drug using, Harley riding, heathen of a freak show.  And I guess what's funny about THAT is that anymore there are more white collared, Harley riding, bible preaching freak shows!
So currently I have 3, all 3 have meaning to me, all different meaning, but meaning nonetheless.  But they are all also in areas pretty regularly covered by clothing.  The 4th has deep meaning as well but I want it on my forearm and for some reason making that decision is deciding if I want to basically change my entire persona.  If I have a visual tattoo, what will people think of me, how will people treat me differently...and the biggest question of them all, is am I finally at a point in my life where I care little enough about what other people think about me to just do what I want.
The first one I got was 17 years ago...I was 18, I walked into the Tattoo Emporium in Everett, flipped through a book and said, " I want that one. " pointing to this little green gecko.  The artist said, "where?"  " On my foot."  His face contorted.  "Nope.  I don't do that.  I can't guarantee it."  I gave in quickly.  "okay, then right here. "  I said, pointing to my abdomen.

And this is the result...

Yes it's silly and it has the least meaning of the three because really it just takes me back to the silliness of 18.  Ohh the care free silliness of 18.

The second one I got was a thought for over a year.  I knew I wanted one on the small of my back and excuse me but that was BEFORE they referred to as "tramp stamps".  Anyhew, I wanted something scrolly and pretty so I asked my sister to design something for me.  She made up several designs and in one weekend me and a friend cut and paste them onto grid paper and I drew the center, the representation of the moon and stars and ta da you have the tattoo across my back.  When my sister saw it she gasped and said she would never admit to being the one that designed it because hers were not THAT big.  I actually combined a few of what she had created to come up with the final product.

And the third one I got just this past Friday and it is one I designed last summer while in the middle of trying to figure out what was up with all the dragonflies.  And if you've been following my blog you will remember those entries (or you can go back and read them)  but basically this most recent tattoo has the most significance.  It symbolic of hope.  It is symbolic of the trust I have in the Lord, that HE is in control of that future and the reminder that he shows me in so many ways that he wants me to be free to trust his promises.