I once considered getting a tat about thirteen years ago. I didn’t. I thought I had a legitimate excuse for one though.  I had developed a scar from a chain ring scrape on my leg that didn’t heal properly and being the vain person I am, I thought I’d cover it with a pretty little tat. (My sister’s tat partially hides her surgery scar below)

As I debated it, I could never come up with anything that would be discreet enough, beautiful enough or one that would not make me feel or look like a hussy. It just needed to be something delicately classy if there was such a thing. I didn’t want a rose or flower or my spouses name or the birth dates and names of any of my children or any other loved one.

I would discreetly peruse the tattoo shop windows for ideas, while shuddering at their clientele but couldn’t find anything to fit my conservative nature, not to mention one that would not offend  my conservative,  Methodist choir friends. After all I was living in the Bible belt at the time.

In all fairness, my friends were not put off by it at all. I was from California after all and in truth I think they lived vicariously through my more liberal and vivacious nature. Not much I did would shock or surprise them, in fact I think they would have giggled, wishing they could be so bold. (I later learned some of them already sported a tat or two.)

The resistance did come though, but not from my southern compatriots so much as from a California relative!

I mentioned my intention to my mother in law one day in a casual, in passing manner and she about had a conniption fit. It so took me by surprise because her son and my husband once belonged to a punk rock band called, of all things, “Social Spit” (you can find them online) and that was okay. Granted he has no tats, but still, he wrote lyrics to songs like “Fuk Off Bitch” and “Eat Shit and Die”. They screamed out songs with F… this, F… that, were shaggy as hell, doped (briefly) and did who knows what all else and that was okay?! (In her defense she probably had no clue what he was doing in those days.)

My girls in the meantime have gotten several tats.  My husband dislikes them (the tats), period.

My model niece was the first to get tats and I distinctly remember my mother’s reaction when one, at the base of her spine, peeked out at my grandmother’s funeral when she leaned over to put a flower on the coffin. She also had one  on the center of her neck and probably several more but I’m not certain how many. My niece is of the Hollywood crowd and many of her friends also had them.

My youngest daughter has had one for years.(she’s the one above dressed as Inara from the Sci-Fi series “Firefly” for Comic-Con – her first was the white tiger, (she was studying ninjitsu at the time) followed by the dragon holding the hoop – nasty thing in my opinion)

Then came my grand-daughters. (More on theirs later.)

A few weeks ago I learned that my eldest daughter got a tat. I won’t give her age away but let’s say she’s not young. She was the last of the girls of legal age to get one. In fact, my two girls got matching ones, only the eldest, like her mom might have, went quite small (see the wrist below). Both tats are in Chinese and say “Serenity” or as one Chinese person translated it “harmony” which, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Firefly series, is the name of it’s spaceship. (We are huge fans and if you haven’t seen it, weeeelll…)

As for the tats. Is it a big deal? I don’t know, I suppose not. I personally don’t like the number and size these girls opted for, but I did initially want one to cover up that scar which now is hardly noticeable and to be honest the scar was the excuse since tats became “fashionable” a few years back and it did seem like everyone is getting them.(think of lemmings) It seems that tats are the “in” thing right now even though my husband thinks not.  Why?  I’m not sure I know the answer to that.  Is it in lieu of jewelry? I believe my girls wear jewelry most of the time.  At least their wedding bands and earrings anyway. Neither of the girls own a lot.

I wear jewelry pretty much all the time. I have two rings and earrings I wear most everyday. I have lots of jewelry and this is about 1/10th of what I have.

Sometimes my youngest tells me I wear too much.  Too much is a couple of rings and sometimes a necklace, earrings and bracelet(s). I don’t think it’s too much. I tell the girls that as long as I keep the count to 13, I’m okay. No, not 13 pieces of jewelry but items on my body, which include shoes, stockings and other clothing including scarves, gloves and hat if I wore them. (Something I learned in charm school when they still existed)

The nice thing about jewelry is you can take it off.  You aren’t stuck with the same thing on all the time.

My grand-daughter opted for a swallow. She has one other, a match to the one her BFF got which is of an elk placed under opposite arms.

Her friend also has a beautiful bird on her back. (I did ask permission to use her pic)

My other grand daughter,the youngest of the bunch also has one. If she has any others, I am unaware.

Granted, I know my girls have a more active lifestyle and their work requires hands on with either patients or customers.  One daughter is studying to be a nurse, the other is a massage therapist as well as my eldest grand-daughter who did the above two photos, learning photography.   My daughter and grand daughter both work for a prestigious hotel, in a major city.

So, it is understandable that since their work requires hands on, jewelry would need to be minimal. I believe conservative earrings is all they are permitted to wear.

Now in case you didn’t notice, these girls are beautiful and although goofy,

they are not sluts. It has not made them less pretty, so what can I say?

In the meantime my niece, who started it all, got married and is now in the process of having all hers removed.

Isn’t that how it goes? Ces’t la Vie!