Back in June when I got my first tattoo, it was the culmination of 26 years of planning. I kept delaying, thinking that maybe I'd change my mind... or decide I want something different... or otherwise regret my decision. But the ink I wanted never changed, so I finally found the perfect tattoo artist and decided to just go for it.
Turns out my only regret was that I didn't do it sooner.
I loved my new ink, and was content that I'd finally gotten the tattoo bug out of my system.
I was wrong, of course, and knew almost immediately there was no way I was going to wait another 26 years to get another. I did decide I'd wait at least a year so I could come to fully appreciate my first tattoo though. It seemed only fair.
I managed to make it eight months...
My original plan was to do something fairly elaborate and interesting on my opposite upper-arm. But five months of working on ideas didn't produce anything that grabbed me.
So instead I decided to go with a tattoo band around my forearm that I could complete in stages.
A lot of ideas went through my head for the first piece, but ultimately I decided on my birthday. In Buddhism, your birth is a highly important day for a number of reasons. Mostly because it's a celebration of the day that you were given the ultimate gift... the gift of life... but it also symbolizes other high concepts like suffering (by your mother during your birth) and sacrifice (by your parents to care for you)... along with love, light, hope, and dozens of other aspects of the human condition. And since my birth-year looks very cool in Roman numerals, that was what I decided on.
And now every time I see my new tattoo, I'll be reminded of everything my birthday represents, and that the best way to honor all that is to live my life to its fullest.
I love it, of course.
One piece down, five more to go...
UPDATE AUGUST, 2013: Part two has been added.
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ʕ·͡ᴥ·ʔ you will be covered in them by next year… ʕ·͡ᴥ·ʔ
Oh probably.
What you should’ve done is commemorate the most important date in history: 1955 (11/5/55 to be exact) — the year that Dr Emmett Brown formulated the concept of the flux capacitor, which makes time travel possible.
But without 1966, I wouldn’t even be around to know this!
We were born in the same year! Wait…why do you look so much younger than me? Does Jagermeister have restorative properties?
Part of it’s the magical elixir of Jagermeister, yes, but also because worshiping SALTALAMACCHIA as the greatest living baseball player brings his blessings upon you!
I love it! I am addicted to tattoos. I just got my fourth and fifth in December and I am planning my next one.
I’d like to stop at three, because that would cover the three places that I currently want tattoos. But, of course, I know that after I get three, I’ll come up with a new space I want one!
That is a very cool idea for a second tattoo. I really like thinking of birthdays that way instead of the selfish it’s all about me and presents day.
And it does look pretty cool.
It’s a little easier for me since I stopped celebrating my birthday years ago. Any time one day gets to be built up bigger than others via anticipation, it diminishes your appreciation of the days that come before it. I want all days to be as special as my birthday! And now, I get to be reminded by that. 🙂
Props to your Tattoo artist, Michael DeMatty.
The lettering looks perfectly rendered. I doubt that’s an easy task.
Congrats.
Yes. True dat. One of the reasons it took me so long to get that first tattoo was because I have seen far too many crap tattoos with bad, uneven, or broken line work. Michael’s work holds up under even the closest scrutiny, and is amazingly precise. As if that weren’t enough, he’s incredibly sensitive to getting you exactly what you want, and makes you feel at ease with his confidence, creativity, and professionalism. I trust him completely, and am excited about working with him again in the future. Highest possible recommendation!
I’m looking for a new tattoo idea and have been having trouble coming up with one. Can I steal a variant of this?
But of course! We’ll be tattoo buddies! Now you just have to get yourself to San Francisco…
Very nice! It’s funny though. I had a friend with ~8 tattoos and when I told her I was thinking of getting one, she said, “Don’t do it. It’s addictive, you can’t just stop with one.” And it seems she was right. 😉
Yes. Yes this is true! 🙂
Tats – they’re like potato chips. You can’t just have one.
Apparently this is true!
Wait until you’re on the other side of that needle cluster. It’s a natural progression. Trust me on this. 😉
While I think I’d like to learn how to ink tattoos, I think I would be terrible at handling the people. People who don’t end up liking it… people who are mad because it hurts… people who get pissed off for one reason or another… all over something that’s permanent! That seems like it would be a lot of drama I’d rather avoid!
*knock on wood* I’ve not had that problem yet. Well, once. But I won’t say which one. 😉
Oh, and congratulations! Your tattoo looks awesome!
Thanks! I absolutely love it. Mostly because the location means I can see it all the time. 🙂
Yay! On both accounts!
That is all sorts of awesome D2 🙂