You can do that when you are 21, unmarried and not giving a crap about the consequences of your actions.
Naturally, I didn't take into consideration for one minute the repercussions ("Repercussion? WTF is a repercussion?" my 21 year old self would have asked back then) of this tattoo that sparks curiosity, disbelief and good old fashion judgment by others every single day. It has taken years to adjust to explaining it ("Yes, it hurt.") and learning to brush off strangers and new acquaintances who try unsuccessfully to maintain eye contact with me without stealing looks at it during conversations.
It's pretty amazing the preconceived notions people can make about you based strictly on a tattoo they see on your body. When you have loud tattoos though, I've learned that you can't get too bent out of shape about people reacting to your loud tattoo- because aren't others' reactions part of what makes tattoos so fun? You have to admit- being provocative is part of the package you sign up for when you take the plunge, particularly if you are a female with a chest tattoo.
I'm starting to forget what I used to look like without the fairy tattoo, and over the years I've become less and less self-conscious about it and am unfazed when people check it out. It is permanent, it is a part of me. It has a life of its own.
My clean cut, conservative, inkless husband has declared that he shall forbid our children from marking up their bodies with tattoos. This is amusing to me because I can't quite figure out how that will work considering they have a mother who has a whole slew of them on her own body. Yet another challenge that we will have to overcome being parents with opposing ideals- the battle between liberal and conservative rears its ugly head again. Hopefully we will be able to cross party lines and come up with a compromise, because with 2 kids, there's a 50% chance that one of them will want a tattoo someday.
I try to explain to Taylor how his adamant "no tattoo" rule will only make them more enticing and desirable. As per usual, he is oblivious to the fact that I know everything and he is wrong.
From fairy chest tattoo to this:
I found this tiny pair of fairy wings in the baby department at Target the other day. Baby was not a fairy for Halloween. I bought them for her to wear strictly for my sheer joy and entertainment- as an accessory for her to wear like one would treat a cute hat or pair of shoes. Sometimes she wears them around the house all day, sometimes I put them on for 5 minutes just to make me smile.
Worth every penny.
This makes me super SUPER happy.
These little wings on my little baby make me appreciate my fairy tattoo in a new light. They make me wonder what my daughter will think of my fairy tattoo someday. I've never cared too much what anyone thought about it until I had a little girl- but suddenly, I'm a role model and influence on another female and I've got more to take into consideration- all on a level that I never prepared myself for.
I don't regret for one second my choice- although I've toyed with thinking about regretting it on and off over the years. When I see it in the mirror I am reminded of a younger version of myself who was brazen, bold and coming into her own in a life changing way. At the time, it gave me a weird sense of self confidence- like a super hero emblem in the middle of my chest. It was this newfound confidence that led me to go out of my way to meet my husband, whom I totally first hit on at a Halloween party 10 years ago this year.
The fairy very well might have made me do it.
When I see it, I am also reminded of that special trip I took with my best friend and I know the older I get, the more nostalgic that memory will be. When my kids ask me about the fairy tattoo someday, I've got stories to share with them that will give them a little insight on the person that their mother was before she was their mother.
I've always loved those kinds of stories from my own parents.
So the fairy isn't just a conversational piece or an ink mark on my body.
It's a piece of my history, like a hieroglyphic.
I think it's important to carefully evaluate stuff like this- things that could be seen as regrets- and consider the positives before making any conclusions.
