the ocean always dreamed blue dreams

How I empathize with you! I well remember when Adam, my middle child, was in his Jack Kerouac period. He was maybe 18 or 19 and with a friend of his he'd gone to San Francisco to join in a celebration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the publication of "Howl." On their way back they visited me in Vancouver and I still remember my horror when Adam removed his shirt at one point and there on his shoulder - on his virgin skin - was the tattoo of a circle with a capital "A" (for anarchy) in the middle of it.

But whatever did your son mean by "I didn't do it for you"?

Ah, Prince, and here's the beauty of the story. He did it for himself, because of me. And I was silenced. What else could I say? What else would I want to say?

That is pretty ironic. . .and I feel your pain. My girls are too young for tattoos, and hopefully, when they're old enough that fad will have passed.

Anymore I see getting a tattoo as equivalent to shopping at Wal-Mart: it's generic, cheap, and everyone's doing it.

I used to think that of Christian fundamentalism, lol. And what a wonderful metaphor, Comedian.

I don't like Tattoos either. I had this friend who was in the Army his entire life and he had a lot of tats all up and down his arms, and I'm sure other places as well. I just always think that Mr. Magoo isn't as cool as he was 60 years ago and I doubt that Calvin peeing on Chevy emblem will be very cool 60 years from now.

But, the name is such a sweet thing somehow. I would have had to smile as well.

Haha, that's actually pretty cute.

Originally Posted by The Comedian

That is pretty ironic. . .and I feel your pain. My girls are too young for tattoos, and hopefully, when they're old enough that fad will have passed.

Warning: by the time your girls are old enough, scarification is going to be the big thing. It's on the rise now, and just breaching into the mainstream.

Well they grow up and take charge of their own lives and they do what they want with it whether you want them to or not. It is hard on us parents, is it not?

Sweet story Qimi. Your boys sound lovely.

And I'm not fond of tattoos either, but each to their own hey? When people talk about tattoos it always makes me think of two things, 1) Fight Club (in which there's some talk of not wanting to go to the grave as a perfect corpse, as though you've not lived) and 2) Michael Ondaatje's beautiful poem The Cinnamon Peeler, specifically this part:

what good is it
to be the lime burner's daughter
left with no trace
as if not spoken to in the act of love
as if wounded without the pleasure of a scar.

Thank you, MotherHubbard, Juniper and Fifth. Yes, they are in charge and they can do what they want with their lives. I think that was the subtext; and yes, occasionally it is hard, but when you know what fine people they are underneath the sturm and drang, then it's OK.

So very very glad my three are grown and on their own to all extents now. Tats were a small issue--both boys have at least two. I grew to choose the battle with winning the war as the main objective so I could lose a few here and there. Hang in there--life will get more interesting.

Tough being a parent... I take my hat off to you qimi. I would have lost the plot and pots and pans everywhere.

I like tattoos, the temporary ones, and definitely not all over. That's because once they fade I can get new ones . I especially like the henna designs on hands, they too are temporary. My mother would surely wonder what's wrong...if I get one of those permanent ones.

Aww it's cute that it was your name and not something silly like the White Power Unicorn.

Thank God for small mercies.

My tattoo is
OTHER END UP
on the instep
of my right foot.
It hurt like a $#@!*

No doubt. How old were you when you got that one?

Originally Posted by Madhuri

I like tattoos, the temporary ones, and definitely not all over. That's because once they fade I can get new ones . I especially like the henna designs on hands, they too are temporary. My mother would surely wonder what's wrong...if I get one of those permanent ones.

Thanks for stopping by, Maddie. I love henna, those designs on the hands are beautiful. I would do something like that.

Originally Posted by Maryd.

Tough being a parent... I take my hat off to you qimi. I would have lost the plot and pots and pans everywhere.

Thank you, Mary, but somehow I find that hard to believe!

:lol: It is a sweet reason, but leave it to your kids to do something horribly charming in all the wrong way. I dread what my own will do, but then I've already told them that I'll drive them to get their first tattoo when they're 18 if they want on. I've warned that it will not be a day before their 18th birthday, but I'm not anyone to cast stones on having a bit of ink;)

I made the mistake of having the Royal Air Force Wireless Operators' badge tattooed on my arm when I was young. The probelm is that it doesn't fit in with my personal ethos any more, so I regret it rather a lot. Because it's bright blue and rectangular, I can't wear white shirts, because it shows through. The folly of youth. it's almost as daft as thinking that you'll still be wearing the same clothes in35 years!

Gosh, Qimi, I don't know how I missed this gem of a blog. Clearly your sons love you, even if they express it in obtuse ways.

Obtuse being the operative word...oh, no that would be love. And it is. Thanks jersea and Dafydd, for stopping by.