I've always wanted to get a tattoo. I don't have one....I went once to a tattoo parlor in New Hampshire and chickened out at the last second. I have green eyes, and when I was younger - my nickname amongst certain friends was "Tiger eyes". So, I always thought I wanted a tattoo of two green tiger's eyes peering through a mist.
No place obvious.....I'm far to discreet for that. Typical bikini area, so that no one sees it whom I don't want seeing it. While I love, love, love tattoos on men - and think that it's cool for a girl to have them - I do think that for myself, subtlety is key. Ankles, shoulders, backs, wrists...just not for me.
(I've always wanted to get my belly button pierced as well....but so many people I know have had problems with them, I've opted not to go that route. I prefer to wear a waist chain instead. I think it's sexier anyway, and isn't that really the look we're trying to get across with piercing our midsections? But I digress...)
So, in the past year - I've really been thinking seriously about getting this tattoo. But I want it to mean something....be personal. Not just have one for the sake of having one. I just haven't come up with something that I'm committed to...something that I feel is really representational of me and how I feel.
And then.... it came to me today. A few weeks back, a coworker asked if I'd be interested in joining a startup business he was thinking of doing. So I told him we'd have to talk more, but I'm always open to ideas and possibilities. When I went to follow up with him today - it turns out that particular project is going to the wayside and he's doing something else. I feigned offense, asking if he only asked me because he thought I was only worthy of being the "face" of the business he was thinking of, and not of being the "behind the scenes" type of person in this other venture. Truly, I was only kidding - but he was sensitive to the thought that I may be hiding an underlying hint of feeling like I'm not good enough for all projects - only those where I'd be the focus of attention. Not that it's a bad thing...but being a woman in industry while I know it's not a bad thing to "work it" to get what you want - you don't want to be thought of as only good for that. And I've worked far too hard to be thought of as such.
After our conversation, he sent me an email with a japanese saying - and the explanation behind the meaning of this term. I think, if the time should come and I feel that I'm ready to get a tattoo....this will be my choice. (I HAD a photo of it here...but it dissapeared for some reason?!?)
It's a Japanese Yoji-jukugo expression . Yoji-jukugo contain classical wisdom or morals in short phrases. In English there are words that people use which make them sound intelligent or denote higher education. Japanese also has words that educated people are more likely to know. Yoji-jukugo are such words. There are hundreds of yoji-jukugo. Some of them are not even familiar to the Japanese, therefore they are often asked at a school entrance examination to test one's knowledge.
"Saishoku Kenbi" is the phrase. It means, "equipped with both brains and beauty." It is mostly used to refer to a woman.
And while I certainly do not feel that I am necessarily beautiful - nor exceptionally smart, I'd like to be thought of as being balanced. And given some of the struggles I've encountered in my day of proving that I'm more than just a fluff, I have to say that this is probably the concept of a design that I feel most committed to as being something that feels right.
We'll see, when and if the time comes.....
5 comments:
That's a great thought!
I finally got up the guts to get my tattoo only after my son was born. I, like yourself, thought a tatoo should really mean something and nothing was ever really that permanent or important enough in my life to tatoo it on my body. Until I became a Mom. What is more important or permanent than that?
It's only the size of a quarter (because I'm a chicken) and it's my son's zodiac sign (Leo). And thank goodness that my daughter happened to be born under the same sign and I didn't end up needing to add another! whew!
Good Luck!
I have to say something Rebecca. Hi, first of all. I enjoy reading you. But.....you knew there would be a "but", but this is a different "but" than you thought a "but" can be. Enough buts!!!! Make sure, if and when you decide to go ahead with this project, that the Japanese symbols/words/saying means what you intend it to. Translation a necessity before the ink process begins. I've heard stories...don't become one. And have a great weekend...thanks for reading my blog! Peter
I'm down with suttle tatoos. People only think of me as a pretty face too, so annoying!
I too have long thought about getting a tattoo. I'm glad I didn't when I was younger because I came real close to getting a big flaming skull on the shoulder blade. Now I think I want to get a Strategic Air Command logo since it's something meaningful in my history.
Anyway as for getting kanji characters, don't! The big fad about ten years ago was Chinese characters and I just read an article about them being madly misinterpreted. For instance, some girl thought her tattoo said "Fancy and Free" and the translation was more like "Easy to get in the sack." Okay, I made the example up but not the article.
Oh by the way, belly chains....wicked sexy!
Hi, Rebecca! Just cruised in from Peter's place. Good stuff!
The closest I came to a tattoo was when I was 17 and in my first band. The name of the band was "World's End" and I had drawn up a logo that involved a cross. We had heard that the Allman Brothers all had the same tattoo (a mushroom, supposedly) so we figured it would be really cool if we all got the cross done on our calfs (calves?).
I thank God to this day that tattoos were illegal in Massachusetts at that time. The band broke up about a year later and I'd still have the damned thing on my leg otherwise.
Post a Comment