getting inked

After 12 years of thinking about it, I am getting a tattoo. I can hear my mother now. "Why would you do that to your body???"

I think tattoos are beautiful. I have always wanted one. For the past four years I have marveled at the tattoos of our Emergency Dept Pharmacy guy.... who has since moved to Arizona. Dan had just about every inch of his body tattooed and in true medical style even had DNR on his chest. His are art in my opinion and they were everywhere.

"But." My mother will shriek "What about when you are sixty?"

When I am sixty I can still be proud of this tattoo because it took me 12 years to assemble it, earn it, and it has so much meaning to me. I will not post the sketch.... it's over on FaceBook, because I am a horrible artist. But here is the breakdown:

M Dot: The M Dot? Seriously? Yes, seriously. Not because I want to join the trillion other M Dot tattooed people.... well then again, why not..... maybe I do. It's because what the M Dot has represented to me through my journey back to health. 12 years ago the idea of the Ironman was what saved me from a very bad period in my life. In a dark world it was a small ray of sunshine that was peeking through the clouds. The journey to the Ironman is really what it represents. A lot of hard work. A lot of soul searching. Finding myself again, and becoming who I am today.

The OM symbol. Yes, it's a yoga thing and if you don't know what the symbol means... that's why God created Google kids. The reason I use the Om symbol is of course for it's own meaning but the same way the Ironman brought me back to life.... the journey that I have taken on my mat both as a teacher and a student is what helped to give my life color again. I love that so many of you are giving yoga a try.... hang with it because soon if you are in the right class.... you will understand that while it is a physical practice..... it has so very very very little to do with poses.

The Sun: how this will work in will really require the help of the tattoo artist. I need the sun because it represents light. The sun is also the center of our small universe and in yoga when we salute the sun we are not only honoring the massive light which lights our own earth, we are also honoring the light that shines within us. It took me a long time to allow my own sun to rise. But I have found my light and you'd better believe I am gonna keep letting it shine.

As for colors.... a combination of reds, oranges yellows, I need the help of the artist on this.

The location? Oh no, oh yes. Right on the lower back. I hear this is called the Tramp Stamp.... and that makes me laugh. My husband too. As I scroll through body parts this is the place that feels the best to me. We each have our own place I think, and this one is mine.

Then.... if I have the balls to endure a little more pain I would like "Love this life" written along side my right foot. Beginning at my third toe and reading to the right. Just in case for some reason I ever forget.

I think a tattoo is a highly personal choice. They are for some, they are not for others. When I am sixty I know I will still be happy I did it. I will still be a triathlete and I will still be a yogi who is honoring the sun and loving this life.

Just like on the surface it might seem this tattoo will be about the Ironman and that strange symbol inside of it.... so our our lives. We are looked at and judged by what we put up here on blogs ... but it is in our hearts that matters. In our instincts, in our souls that makes the difference.

The appointment is Friday and of course...... there will be some pictures!