to tattoo or not to tattoo?

I have wanted a tattoo for a very long time.

I don't always love how they look on people and I usually detest colored ones, but just the right tattoo can look really cool. I have struggled with it because sometimes I have things I want to do and don't and I look back and am glad I didn't do them (nose piercing, dying my hair, etc.). I like all of these things on other people - but eventually decided it wasn't for me.

But I've wanted a tattoo (seriously) since college. When I went to drum corps, a met a lot of people with conquest shots as tattoos. Conquest shots are a series of dots and lines that mimic the sound of a distinct moment in a piece of music called Conquest. The conquest shots are two beats, a rest, one beat, a rest, and three beats. They have been played in every single Boston Crusaders show since 1970something. I didn't have a great summer when I marched, but I have worked there for two years now and it has become everything I wanted out of my drum corps experience. Plus conquest shots look cool and that certainly helps.

(this one with the moon cycle is so pretty!)

When I was marching Paramount, I was obsessed with this beauty (below). I love the above the elbow look because it's so dainty. But I worry about having saggy old lady arms because I'm a realist and am haunted by these sorts of things.

(yep, I still love this) 

If I were to get a tattoo, I am almost positive it would be in one of these spots -

Left inside of arm, right under the crease of my elbow

or on my Right ring finger (not L just in case I get some bling one day).

Pros to arm - can be covered up easily by long sleeve shirt or jacket.

Pros to finger - finger tattoos wear off eventually almost completely so I wouldn't feel the permanence of it as much.

And then of course the impending doom of self-doubt - Am I cool enough to have a tattoo? Will I really want it once I have it? Does this just feel like something cool to do? Is this really "me"? Does this really fit where I'm going and not just who I am now? Here's my biggest hang-up. My two favorite things in the WORLD are change and fresh starts. I don't know if I want to make this commitment right now to something that I can't change or ever move forward again without...

When I was in college my co-worker Andrew would always stop me when I did one of these back and forth things to say "too much internal conflict - just do it." and it always helped me. Maybe I need to just dive in and not think about it for another five years.

Anyway - here are today's pictures...

 

1. not much to take a picture of when I first wake up - but my wall is pretty awesome.

2. every Wednesday I delete a year of incriminating facebook posts. today I got rid of any residual humiliation of 2012 and found this recipe for butter beer cupcakes!! Thanks twelfth grade Laura Ballard for sharing! Next Wednesday is 2013, so if anyone is reading this, you have one week to embarrass me.

3. Getting the day started with work. I usually slump in my bed and work, but today went to the futon and had my Friends DVDs rolling.

4. Made it to season 3 by dinnertime. made chicken which was pretty average.

5. picked up my violin for the first time in a long time. had to relearn everything. like. everything.