We were in Tampa today, where Simon and I spent a few hours at Busch Gardens Tampa while Diana got her second tattoo. That's two decades after her first, and like my first, would have happened last year were it not for Covid. It's really quite lovely, just as she is (allow me to brag a little). She's been talking about it probably for as long as we've known each other, but time passes and stuff. Part of what instigated it for her was that a work friend saw the same artist a few months ago, and she instantly knew, that's it, that's what she wants. The artist she went to specializes in freehand tattooing flowers and vines and such, so most of his clients are women. I like the way he takes advantage of curves and bendy parts in subtle ways, and I like how Diana's goes on to the back of her shoulder.
As I said previously, my first shot was only half the story, and it was never really a question of "if" for the second one, it was more which idea would go first. I went for the easy thing first. The mandala-compass thing, I've asked the artist who did my simple text if he could draw up an idea for that, so I'm excited to see what he comes up with. I love my little reminder to not take the world too seriously, but it's not exactly art. And seeing Diana's new piece, I want art too!
Inevitably, even that probably won't be the end of it, but I imagine that I'd have to be inspired for whatever might come next. I kind of hope it's as obvious as Diana's "that's it" moment, but we all have a different journey.
Yeah, I jokingly refer to my journey as a midlife crisis, but it's not. It's just the place that I am in life, and I realize more than ever that who I am is never finished (at least, not until I die). Do I know myself if I don't do the things? It also falls quite firmly in the "experiences not stuff" m.o. that I'm fond of. That was really the challenge of the pandemic for me, because I wanted to do stuff. I was supposed to return to Alaska last summer, and Europe this summer. (shakes fist at sky and virus)
Anyway, I'm so happy for Diana's fresh ink, and what a relief she snuck in to an open appointment instead of having to wait four months (it was still two).
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