Tattoos. It’s a delicate conversation in my family. My father believes you don’t put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari. My mother believes that she created her children’s bodies and they shouldn’t be damaged in anyway. My mother in love and father in love look the other way. My husband is straight edge. My nieces love tats. My one sister wants one but won’t take the plunge and the other is inked As is my brother. Most of my friends have one or none. And then there is me.

I’m planning my next one and I want it to be a drawing by E. He is thinking a shark with Toothless from How to Train Your dragons…

My request is that he works on it a bit….

My doctor is not a fan of tattoos simply due to the infection risk. I have never minded risk and thoroughly enjoy antagonizing my doctor. We also love educating our son in a non conformist way. Showing E that art is beautiful no matter the vehicle is important. Unless it’s an Andy Warhol in which case that’s not art…

So I’m thinking a summer school trip to the tattoo parlor is in order soon. For him to see that life is for the living, art is for the dreamers and that his art has a canvas in the world is a lesson that I’m proud to show him. I may not be around to see him get his first tattoo but we can see his first tattoo drawing become art together.

Wish me luck!