If I had to get a tattoo to sum up my existence, I’m not sure what it would be…
…but it wouldn’t be something stupid or obvious. I’d rather not sum up my existence if it’s represented in a unicorn, a cartoon character, or some kind of Japanese character.
(Sorry to offend you if you have Popeye on your forearm.)
Thoughts:
- How does an upper-middle-class white woman with no job and some cash in the bank — who views herself as punk rock but wears Old Navy clothing and yoga pants — represent herself in ink?
- Or does the Human Resources professional in me decline to be inked for fear that it will impact my future earnings potential?
Those are my thoughts as I watch polling coverage from Nevada and South Carolina. Shall we discuss as a team, Suckers?!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s a toughie. I’ve been considering a tattoo for more than a year now, but I can’t make up my mind what it should be beyond a vague idea of style. That probably means I’ll never do it.
Why sum up your existence? Why not have it represent a single thing to you?
I think you’d be surprised how tattoo friendly people are. I have a non visible one and when I admitted to my coworkers at my last job that I wanted another 2 said they wanted to get one and the other coworker already had 3!
If you get one I would urge you to get one that can be covered by at least 85% of your normal wardrobe.
Also do a lot of research on your artist!
I think you should get a tattoo of a written warning on the back of your middle finger and then when you get another HR job you can deliver all written warnings with complete exuberance.
hi laurs. i wanna tatt too. been wanting for a while. here’s one for our inner blognerd.
here’s another one to sit on. it could end up being an asset if you work for a global organization.
Cols – You’re killing me. Now I’m doing a Flickr search. Thanks for the inspiration. It’s still 7 degrees outside so Ken and I may watch the special features of Superbad another 3 times and drink more rum to stay warm.
Average Jane – Do you wonder what tattoo artists think of traditional-appearing women who are interested in tattoos? Someone wrote to me and said, “Just go buy yourself a new Volvo.”
Rachel – All good advice. I probably won’t get a tattoo but I like the idea of representing a single element of my personality. I’m such a dork — I’d love to represent my cats!
BBB – Brilliant. I often stick out my tongue at people. Should I get something tattooed there, too?
my secret is that i want one too. also to cover my gray hair with pink. & a teensy diamond nose ring. sigh.
Wanting to get a tattoo is just another form of self-harming (my Dad used to call them “tramp stamps”). It’s usually associated with the oafish and useless post-baby boomer 80’s generation, whose (quite rightly) low self-esteem leads them to think that self-mutilation will somehow make them more attractive to others. I’m told that loafing around instead of working for a living can also bring on such cravings…
Fortunately, it’s a disease that can be cured, and major pharmaceutical companies are looking into it here
…
http://pharmagiles.blogspot.com/2007/11/oasis-in-desert.html
Gemellen – I cover my hair with crappy highlights. Join me!
PGiles – You cannot diss on the post-boomers, although what you say is true. I may go find a job as a drug rep for a line of antidepressants that don’t work but the (published) studies say they do.
I have a nose ring, and I work for a law firm. It’s not a deal breaker when it comes to employment.
I also have one tattoo and want more. Mine, however, are on my back — more because my back will still look decent when I’m 70 (therefore so will the tattoos) than the need to cover them at work.
Lea,
I had to take out my eyebrow ring for my first real job. It was kind of sad, but having an eyebrow ring is not GMP compliant in food and pharma facilities. Sigh.
I’m not sure how my back will look at 70. I haven’t even thought about it, actually. Now I’m going to look in the mirror and think about it. Seriously.