I love you and this story, Charlie. There is so much truly cool stuff I never thought about in terms of tattooing until I read this. (I'm tempted to regularly start sending you one word prompts and having you write as much as you possibly can about them without doing any research. 50,000 words about salt, like the old days of the New Yorker, would not surprise me. And it would be fascinating!)
Anyway, you might be like me and have a high pain threshold – or at least high pain threshold for certain types of pain. My pain threshold is dangerously high because I do things like break a leg and not realize it. But I also noticed that I get a high feeling, I guess from endorphins or adrenaline or something, after experiencing something like tattooing (I've never gotten a tattoo other than my eyebrows, but I've gotten my face needled, which is probably a little similar).
In any case, great piece! Thanks for sticking with me all this time!
Do it! Give me all the prompts and I'll go nuts, lol.
The weird thing is that I have a high pain tolerance when it comes to a lot of things (getting tattooed, dealing with stomach issues) but a very low one in other respects (the tiniest headache will destroy my day and I'm an enormous baby about my throat being the slightest bit scratchy). It's very confusing to me
I love yours and Charlie's creative collaboration! ( sounds like an art store line!). I definitely agree with you about the euphoric buzz one can get from pain. I tend to float home after getting a new tattoo! I kinda miss floating home from other types of ..."pain". Actually..let's just call them "strong sensations". That's a topic for another time, as they say. 😉
I always used to say I would "get a tattoo when I turned 60", picking an age in the distant future when I thought that it would be such a radical move to put a tattoo onto already wrinkled skin. Now at 62, making that statement doesn't seem so funny.
Dude. What part of you do you think is gonna look awesome when you're 70? I actually think really old tattoos look amazing, it's fascinating to watch them change over time
And you are my perfect cohost because you know I love to tell everything! I'll come back when I have it in front of me and reveal all, don't you worry!
What a great read! I love this topic. Tattoos are so polarizing. I happen to have MANY ...and know I'm not done. When I want to get a new one, I feel this weird kind of "revving" feeling inside, and the only way to kick the engine back down to a hum is to happily submit flesh to needle. My (former) husband despises tattoos. He once declared he'd divorce me if I ever got one. I started with a small one..then two...then three. All easily hidden. Then I left him and went ham. I'm as marked up as the school desk of an angsty rebellious IDGAF adolescent, at 59. I consider my tats to be passport stamps, though I have never been out of this country. I work with the elderly....and one old man told me I better be careful to not get arrested, as I look like a gang member . Lol!! ( and yes, he's a trumper). I've gone to a Jewish wedding in a sleeveless dress and some of the aghast stares stung as much as the needle. What I love about body art is the personal CHOICE of it. My flesh. My body. My life. Some of my tattoos turned out regrettable. So I've had coverups. One was a three time cover-up! Some poems are a snapshot of a story~ something meaningful in my life. I admit I thought that would come up more. But it IS interesting to hear which of my tattoos get the most attention. My flowering serotonin molecule being one. I've procured several of my pieces in NYC, but the shop I've frequented for a few years is a local, woman owned place. All three are genius artists! During a recent conversation with the gal who did a 3/4 sleeve on my left arm , ( bird-themed) the idea of "meaningful " tattoos came up. Slightly piqued she remarked " why does everything have to have some profound meaning attached to it? Can't you just like something?" I answered; " but...I mean...it's forever!" She shrugged and reminded me you can like something forever even if it only means something to you.
Thank you! Out of curiosity, which shop are you talking about? One thing that I think is funny is that I have a couple of bad tattoos, including a Chicago flag where each of the four stars looks different (they shouldn't!), but I'd never consider a cover-up for sort of the reason you mention — they serve as a sort of snapshot of my life. It's a funny story that my worst tattoo was given to me for free because I wrote a glowing profile of the shop's owner, so I keep it around.
Also, I'll never understand why people think they have a right to be mad at someone getting a tattoo. It's just an unnecessary attempt at control, get the fuck out of here with that shit. If my wife ever told me she didn't want me to get tattooed (which she wouldn't), I'd probably go and get a fucking sleeve in a single sitting out of spite, lol
Oh I hear ya! I felt a nice little burst of "fuck you" energy towards my then husband ( otherwise known as WASband) for trying to dictate my bodily choices. Now that both arms are almost completely covered, he can barely conceal the sneer when I run into him. Oh WELL! I go to Iron Butterfly in Mahopac NY for my ink. Those ladies are just amazing. I used to enjoy going to Hell's Kitchen Ink in NYC as well, but I very sadly learned that they closed up shop.
What a great thing that tattoo artist said to you. That's so freeing! Now I'm thinking about getting one all over again. I also love your story here - it's so full of unexpected fascinating details. Thanks for the great read!
Such a fun ( and bonding) idea I'm totally up for. (Down for? I get those mixed up). Keep me posted, k? If you feel like coming to "my" tat studio, boy would they be THRILLED to meet a celebrity!
I love you and this story, Charlie. There is so much truly cool stuff I never thought about in terms of tattooing until I read this. (I'm tempted to regularly start sending you one word prompts and having you write as much as you possibly can about them without doing any research. 50,000 words about salt, like the old days of the New Yorker, would not surprise me. And it would be fascinating!)
Anyway, you might be like me and have a high pain threshold – or at least high pain threshold for certain types of pain. My pain threshold is dangerously high because I do things like break a leg and not realize it. But I also noticed that I get a high feeling, I guess from endorphins or adrenaline or something, after experiencing something like tattooing (I've never gotten a tattoo other than my eyebrows, but I've gotten my face needled, which is probably a little similar).
In any case, great piece! Thanks for sticking with me all this time!
Do it! Give me all the prompts and I'll go nuts, lol.
The weird thing is that I have a high pain tolerance when it comes to a lot of things (getting tattooed, dealing with stomach issues) but a very low one in other respects (the tiniest headache will destroy my day and I'm an enormous baby about my throat being the slightest bit scratchy). It's very confusing to me
I get that and I am a little bit the same way. I'm getting prompts ready now…
I love yours and Charlie's creative collaboration! ( sounds like an art store line!). I definitely agree with you about the euphoric buzz one can get from pain. I tend to float home after getting a new tattoo! I kinda miss floating home from other types of ..."pain". Actually..let's just call them "strong sensations". That's a topic for another time, as they say. 😉
Ha ha ha I am with you on the power of those "sensations" too!
When I was a teenager, I thought of getting a tattoo. Then I thought about how it would look when I was 70.
Nope. Too big a leap for me.
I always used to say I would "get a tattoo when I turned 60", picking an age in the distant future when I thought that it would be such a radical move to put a tattoo onto already wrinkled skin. Now at 62, making that statement doesn't seem so funny.
I did get my first tattoo at 60! I’m working on a Substack about it. And yes, placement and wrinkle effect was top of mind.
I want to read that! Xo
I'm 59 and just try to moisturize to hell and gone! ( I'm pretty heavily tatted on both arms )
Nope. That’s funny as hell.
Ha ha ha I adore you when you make fun of me
I have that effect on people.
Dude. What part of you do you think is gonna look awesome when you're 70? I actually think really old tattoos look amazing, it's fascinating to watch them change over time
There's no part that I thought was going to look awesome--hence my decision to avoid the tattoo.😅
Jane: now I need to know what the former hater-reader wrote you! Don't tempt with that hot goss -- you know I'm a sucker!
And you are my perfect cohost because you know I love to tell everything! I'll come back when I have it in front of me and reveal all, don't you worry!
Standing by with baited breath! 🫖
What a great read! I love this topic. Tattoos are so polarizing. I happen to have MANY ...and know I'm not done. When I want to get a new one, I feel this weird kind of "revving" feeling inside, and the only way to kick the engine back down to a hum is to happily submit flesh to needle. My (former) husband despises tattoos. He once declared he'd divorce me if I ever got one. I started with a small one..then two...then three. All easily hidden. Then I left him and went ham. I'm as marked up as the school desk of an angsty rebellious IDGAF adolescent, at 59. I consider my tats to be passport stamps, though I have never been out of this country. I work with the elderly....and one old man told me I better be careful to not get arrested, as I look like a gang member . Lol!! ( and yes, he's a trumper). I've gone to a Jewish wedding in a sleeveless dress and some of the aghast stares stung as much as the needle. What I love about body art is the personal CHOICE of it. My flesh. My body. My life. Some of my tattoos turned out regrettable. So I've had coverups. One was a three time cover-up! Some poems are a snapshot of a story~ something meaningful in my life. I admit I thought that would come up more. But it IS interesting to hear which of my tattoos get the most attention. My flowering serotonin molecule being one. I've procured several of my pieces in NYC, but the shop I've frequented for a few years is a local, woman owned place. All three are genius artists! During a recent conversation with the gal who did a 3/4 sleeve on my left arm , ( bird-themed) the idea of "meaningful " tattoos came up. Slightly piqued she remarked " why does everything have to have some profound meaning attached to it? Can't you just like something?" I answered; " but...I mean...it's forever!" She shrugged and reminded me you can like something forever even if it only means something to you.
Thank you! Out of curiosity, which shop are you talking about? One thing that I think is funny is that I have a couple of bad tattoos, including a Chicago flag where each of the four stars looks different (they shouldn't!), but I'd never consider a cover-up for sort of the reason you mention — they serve as a sort of snapshot of my life. It's a funny story that my worst tattoo was given to me for free because I wrote a glowing profile of the shop's owner, so I keep it around.
Also, I'll never understand why people think they have a right to be mad at someone getting a tattoo. It's just an unnecessary attempt at control, get the fuck out of here with that shit. If my wife ever told me she didn't want me to get tattooed (which she wouldn't), I'd probably go and get a fucking sleeve in a single sitting out of spite, lol
Oh I hear ya! I felt a nice little burst of "fuck you" energy towards my then husband ( otherwise known as WASband) for trying to dictate my bodily choices. Now that both arms are almost completely covered, he can barely conceal the sneer when I run into him. Oh WELL! I go to Iron Butterfly in Mahopac NY for my ink. Those ladies are just amazing. I used to enjoy going to Hell's Kitchen Ink in NYC as well, but I very sadly learned that they closed up shop.
What a great thing that tattoo artist said to you. That's so freeing! Now I'm thinking about getting one all over again. I also love your story here - it's so full of unexpected fascinating details. Thanks for the great read!
Jane, I'll go with ya!
Yay! A group of us still haven't gotten our matching 11:11 tattoos, but I haven't forgotten about it. Are you in for that idea?
Oh hell yeah!! Are you all based in the city? I'm just an hour away
Yes I am! I think some people will be doing theirs from different locations but great either way!
Such a fun ( and bonding) idea I'm totally up for. (Down for? I get those mixed up). Keep me posted, k? If you feel like coming to "my" tat studio, boy would they be THRILLED to meet a celebrity!
* pieces...not poems. Autocorrect is weird. I DO have a poem that reads La Poesia e Vita however! I adore poetry.
You have a poem that reads that way or a piece/tattoo that reads that way? Now AutoCorrect has me doubting everything!
I am disproportionately annoyed at this!!! Ok. Let's try again: PIECE!!!! Good Lord! Sorry 'bout that!
That was worth every bit of it for "disproportionately annoyed". I love that.