I love tattoos. I think they are great. For the sake of full disclosure, I should explain that I was raised by a couple of inked up parents, so I am probably (definitely) biased. I remember being a young'un imagining not if I would ever get a tattoo, but what I wanted to get.
That being said, tattoos were never taken lightly in my family. I remember that my dad especially, as he inkier of my parents, always emphasized that tattoos are a permanent art form, and should be viewed as such. At this point my dad has, I want to say... over 10 pieces? My mom says he looks like he just busted out of prison and he looks at it as an art gallery, mostly comprised of skulls/skeletons. My father is sort of a bad ass.
I got my first tattoo as my 18th birthday present from my dad. We went to Gothic Body Tattoo in Milwaukee, WI. The Roy family mentality of "go big or go home" got the best of both of us that day. Papa Roy walked out with two pieces on either side of his bicep and I brought home my biggest piece thus far, my Virgen de Guadeloupe.
She's a colorful one, ain't she? I wanted my first piece to represent a lot of things. Mostly, it's about being raised Catholic--Catholic school, super religious grandmother, etc. (I used to memorize prayers for fun. What the what?) I have always loved the symbol of the Virgin Mary, and am a huge fan of Catholic art, especially Latin American Catholic art. I knew that, as an 18-year-old girl, I had no idea of what my future would hold. However, you can't change your past, and how it has shaped you. Thus, it's a safe bet to get a tattoo that pays a tribute to that.
I waited about six months before getting #2, once again going with my dad. This time we went to Pape's Blue Ribbon Tattoo in Shorewood, WI.
I lovelove the script on this one. It reads, "the inevitable fifth," and is from my favorite book Fifth Business by Robertson Davies. In the book, at least how I interpreted it, the fifth business is someone who is more of an observer 99% of the time, but is actually of huge significance. That's a really poor way of explaining it, so you should really just read the book, BUT, it obviously struck a chord with me.
My most recent piece was my birthday present to myself last year, done at Atomic Tattoo in Milwaukee, WI (the East Side location in case anyone is concerned). This tattoo is definitely the most meaningful in the sense that it has so many different significances to me. WHICH I WILL LIST!
1. My favorite, easiest, and most common explanation: "I'm French as f**k, man." Due to vulgarity, people rarely ask for me to elaborate. But, really. My last name means "king" in French, and the fleur de lis is a symbol of French royalty. Thus, this was my way of showing my pride for where I come from. The timing was significant as well, since I wanted to get it before my Grandpa Roy passed away (he was fighting a battle with lung cancer at the time).
2. My best friend/prison boyfriend/essentially my sister also has a fleur de lis tattoo. This is self-explanatory. Using science, Annalise and I have determined that if you have matching tattoos, you must, in fact, be related. You can't argue with science.
3. I love New Orleans more than I love most other nouns, proper or otherwise. I'll be back in Nola in less than two weeks, and let's all cross our fingers that my tattoo gets me free drinks when I'm out in the Quarter!
Now presenting:
FAQz ABOUT MY TATTOOz
DISCLAIMER: I will be making fun of the average person who asks these questions. A pet peeve of mine is when people ask questions without caring about the answer, they just ask to ask.
1. OMG WUT DOES IT MEAN?! See above.
2. OMG U R BRAVE DOES IT HURT?! Yes. It does. I feel like anyone who says tattoos don't hurt is sort of full of shit. I hate the process of getting tattooed, but I love the product, so it's worth it. Also, yes, I am brave.
3. How will you ever get a job? I WON'T!!!!
4. Do you think you will be able to find a husband who likes tattoos? Okay, this isn't frequently asked. However, my least favorite HIGH SCHOOL teacher asked me this, and then I punched him in the face! No, I didn't. I just sort of stared at him blankly. If I'm ever asked this again, I will respond the same way.
In conclusion: F. I really want some fresh ink. Time to crunch some numbers and see if I can afford one. I already started looking at tattoo shops in Nola, woops. Donations accepted.
Kat Von D is hot. Here is a photo.
NOTE: If you have any questions about my tattoos or tattoos in general, I almost promise you will not get made fun of. Overall, I really like talking about my inky experiences. If I liked emoticons more, I would probably put a smiley face here.
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