After a few days and nights... okay, okay - after a few years of pondering, I finally got my first tattoo!!! First of all, the reason I waited so damn long is because I wanted to be sure that whatever inking I decided to get, it had to have great meaning; I mean I was going to have it 4EVER so I might as well like it, right? I have obviously never had a tattoo before and knew little about the whole thing - but what I knew for sure was that my threshold for pain was close to none, like on a scale of 1-10 am a negative 2! I’ve had so many of my family and friends say it doesn’t hurt while some kept it real and said it would but each experience is different. Anyway, after looking and mulling over what tattoo artist I would choose, I knew it was time when it found me instead. Everything happened really fast - it took roughly an hour and a few minutes. Although, I may have passed out for the first 15 minutes, am not sure. I tried not to think about having my skin sewed with an electric needle which punched me 300 times per second - but am so content with the result not only because of what I got (which I’ll tell you about later) but also because this new and apparently out of nothing experience, taught me a great deal.
About My Experience: if you’re a normal person, getting a tattoo hurts! Like HELL. By normal person, I mean one with regular nerves and skin structure - since there are people who are not able to sense pain on their skin and for them getting a tattoo is like brushing their teeth - good for you! But that was not the case for me - the moment I felt the needle on my skin I knew it was going to hurt like hell - especially on the bony part of your body but I wasn’t prepared for the harsh. After the first minute the urge to get the hell out of there hit me, “ok, got it - enough already”! After the second minute, I had the urge to just run away, even if it was half way done, I thought to myself “who would know the difference”. But none of these were available sane options - but 1 would say I was insane for getting 1 in the first place. After 10 minutes, I just wanted to be done with it and the pain started to dull except when it got to the bony part of my body. So, I shifted my focus instead from my pain to my breathe (not realizing that I held my breathe this whole time). Inhale, Exhale.... I figured I’ll also get an early start on limaze. Not! Before I knew it though Fin! It was all over....
So you’re probably wondering what did I get anyway? After thinking long and hard, I decided on the Man in the Maze. It is one of the most common life and choice symbol illustration that shows the emergence of the Tohono O’Odham Native American tribe of the Central Valley in Arizona. The little man in the maze is known as “U’Ki”ut’I aka Elder Brother. The design basically signifies life cycles and eternal motions and also of the choice we are confronted with during our travels through our existence. The right choices lead us to a point of harmony with all things, now matter how hard or long the road taken. Many other tribes and artists have adopted the design, and developed various explanations to fit their personal needs. The motif is reproduced over and over because it looks and feels good, and adapts well to differing artistic styles. Just as people often interpret the Native American Kokopelli to fit their individual circumstances, the maze is frequently enlisted to explain a myriad of beliefs.
While I was explaining to the tattoo artist what this signifies to me, I started to think that maybe the reason for these varying interpretations could be that we are all traveling different paths, and attempting to interpret the signs on the road of life, which is tricky at best. Space, time, and reality can be difficult to quantify emotionally and each of us attempts to explain and navigate our course as best we can. I realized that maybe what we need to remember most is that everyone else is also doing the best they can under their own personal circumstances. I specifically decided to get this design because it reminds me that life is an ongoing quest for knowledge and understanding. But besides this process teaching me that pain is in your head, it has also taught me that most of the time you attract what you are, you become what you say you are, and everything you do matters! And in the end - I can only hope that the correct and wise solutions to life’s tough questions will find me and guide me to travel undaunted amid the wonders and sorrows that will appear in the labyrinth of my journey. Otherwise, I might find myself enduring a return trip....... Until then, if you really want to do something, do it while you have the chance to - when you want to because life is about experiencing the radiance of the world and your pairing with awakened hearts. They say getting a tattoo is addictive and am not sure why but perhaps it explains why I'm getting a 2nd one. But what I do know for sure is that it's better to proudly wear the traces of your adventures than to slip through life in an endless avoidance dance of pondering....
About My Experience: if you’re a normal person, getting a tattoo hurts! Like HELL. By normal person, I mean one with regular nerves and skin structure - since there are people who are not able to sense pain on their skin and for them getting a tattoo is like brushing their teeth - good for you! But that was not the case for me - the moment I felt the needle on my skin I knew it was going to hurt like hell - especially on the bony part of your body but I wasn’t prepared for the harsh. After the first minute the urge to get the hell out of there hit me, “ok, got it - enough already”! After the second minute, I had the urge to just run away, even if it was half way done, I thought to myself “who would know the difference”. But none of these were available sane options - but 1 would say I was insane for getting 1 in the first place. After 10 minutes, I just wanted to be done with it and the pain started to dull except when it got to the bony part of my body. So, I shifted my focus instead from my pain to my breathe (not realizing that I held my breathe this whole time). Inhale, Exhale.... I figured I’ll also get an early start on limaze. Not! Before I knew it though Fin! It was all over....
So you’re probably wondering what did I get anyway? After thinking long and hard, I decided on the Man in the Maze. It is one of the most common life and choice symbol illustration that shows the emergence of the Tohono O’Odham Native American tribe of the Central Valley in Arizona. The little man in the maze is known as “U’Ki”ut’I aka Elder Brother. The design basically signifies life cycles and eternal motions and also of the choice we are confronted with during our travels through our existence. The right choices lead us to a point of harmony with all things, now matter how hard or long the road taken. Many other tribes and artists have adopted the design, and developed various explanations to fit their personal needs. The motif is reproduced over and over because it looks and feels good, and adapts well to differing artistic styles. Just as people often interpret the Native American Kokopelli to fit their individual circumstances, the maze is frequently enlisted to explain a myriad of beliefs.
While I was explaining to the tattoo artist what this signifies to me, I started to think that maybe the reason for these varying interpretations could be that we are all traveling different paths, and attempting to interpret the signs on the road of life, which is tricky at best. Space, time, and reality can be difficult to quantify emotionally and each of us attempts to explain and navigate our course as best we can. I realized that maybe what we need to remember most is that everyone else is also doing the best they can under their own personal circumstances. I specifically decided to get this design because it reminds me that life is an ongoing quest for knowledge and understanding. But besides this process teaching me that pain is in your head, it has also taught me that most of the time you attract what you are, you become what you say you are, and everything you do matters! And in the end - I can only hope that the correct and wise solutions to life’s tough questions will find me and guide me to travel undaunted amid the wonders and sorrows that will appear in the labyrinth of my journey. Otherwise, I might find myself enduring a return trip....... Until then, if you really want to do something, do it while you have the chance to - when you want to because life is about experiencing the radiance of the world and your pairing with awakened hearts. They say getting a tattoo is addictive and am not sure why but perhaps it explains why I'm getting a 2nd one. But what I do know for sure is that it's better to proudly wear the traces of your adventures than to slip through life in an endless avoidance dance of pondering....
Love!!! "wear the traces of your adventures." Absolutely love it. So many of us are afraid of dying but should be afraid of not living!! Your tatt is beautiful! Congrats. Proud of you for bearing the pain lol.
ReplyDeleteThe whole time I kept thinking of you and the story you told me when you went with your sis to get our Butterfly tat (granted yours was 4xs larger) it put things in perspective for me and you were a source of inspiration considering the catalyst for getting it was many interesting, painful and beautiful memories of my life's journey just in the past 7 months I've been here. Here's to living my friend! Luv ya....
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