I was just watching an episode of “American Pickers”, the
one where Danielle was on a pick because Frank had his high school reunion to
attend. Danielle has always intrigued me since the first episode I watched, and
her personality, attitude and her tattoos always left me wanting to see more of
her. I guess the shows producers realized this and of late she is getting a
larger amount of screen time. I hope that she is also getting a bigger share of
the financial pie as well.
Watching the show tonight I started to think about tattoos
and how they seemed to have taken off in the last decade or two. I’m not sure
what spurred the growth in body art and I’m not sure what I really think about
it. I can remember that the only people who had tattoos were truckers that had
the name of their girl friend/wife and something about America
etched on the skin. Women almost never had tattoos, or at least the women that
I knew never showed me their tattoos, which is just as well, because quite
frankly I don’t think Louise would have approved. Sailors have historically
been the ones to get tattooed, somewhere in a foreign land. Popeye had an
anchor tattooed on both forearms, and perhaps in other places as well but those
never showed. I picture a tattoo on his butt that says “I like to get Oiled” or
“I’m strong to the finish” on the inner thigh. That’s just me though.
I know the Dixie Chicks vowed to have a chickens foot tattoo
for every #1 or special career milestone. I think they have fourteen now. That
is quite an accomplishment and I can see the wisdom behind that. I have a
friend that has a Canadian flag (or maple leaf, I don’t look too closely at his
legs) over top of EFI tattooed on his calf. He got it on the completion of a
cycling trip from coast to coast across Canada .
The EFI stands for Every Fucking Inch. Very significant and very cool. I hope
he doesn’t mind my mentioning it. I know people that have gotten tattoos that
celebrate beating cancer or some other great achievement. Well done by the way
to any and all that have those accomplishments.
I guess to me a tattoo should signify something of import,
not that you managed to down a fifth of vodka and remained conscious enough to
drive to the Tattoo parlour. I don’t know why women get what are known as “Tramp
stamps”, I can only assume they have some cool meaning. I saw a girl about 19
that had FUCK on her left elbow and YOU on her right. I know that when I was 19
it would seem cool, but that is a pretty in your face kind of statement to wear
for the rest of your life. If you are going to have writing tattooed on your
body, make sure you can read and understand the language it is going to be in. I
did see a woman that had a vine inked on her legs and it kind of looked like
patterned stockings. It was pretty. There are a lot of tattoos that look pretty,
and some of those are in rather innocuous places on the body. I don’t get the
four letter words on the knuckles or really anything on the face. Just me I
suppose.
I guess I just don’t feel strongly enough to be affiliated
with any picture or phrase that will be with me for the rest of my life. I
could do what the Dixie Chicks did and for every book I write that becomes a
best seller I will have a tiny book tattooed on my chest. Perhaps for every million
in the bank I will get a dollar sign on my ass.
There are some things that I feel strongly about and in a
way I am marked for life by them. I guess for me my friends, loves and my
memories are etched indelibly on my psyche. They are there for anyone that chooses
to look and if you are looking that close... you are probably there too.
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