At the beginning of November, I found a cool tattoo where I least expected to:
a bat mitzvah. Such occasions are not generally tattoo-displaying events, especially with the misconception that tattoos and Jews do not go together. However, we here at Tattoosday know better and I, with my two, and my spouse with her four, are always appreciative of a finely-inked piece.
The
bat mitzvah girl was too young to be tattooed, but her older sister wasn't, and she had something on her back that I noticed in the
shul. Nonetheless, she was not the person who ended up here on Tattoosday.
During the cocktail hour, post-service, pre-dinner, my lovely wife spotted a be-flowered bicep of a woman at the party.
However, she disappeared once we are all seated, and I figured that was that. Besides, I had no printouts of the blog with me, just the camera.
Later in the evening, post-dinner, post-performance (the
bat mitzvah girl did a song and dance for the guests' entertainment). A bit after that, I spotted the woman on the other side of the
ballroom, seated at a table. I hate interrupting people while they are conversing with others, so I waited.
A bit further on, I saw her just outside the entrance, smoking a cigarette. Smoking may be hazardous one's health, but it seems to be Tattoosday's Best Friend. I've found the Smoking Tattooed among the most approachable, as they are standing around and not necessarily in a hurry anywhere. And by talking to them, I am not interrupting anything (generally speaking).
So, out I went to introduce myself and tell her about the blog. And, of course, she was totally cool. It turns out she had been the
bat mitzvah girl's choreographer. Her name is Dana Athens, and she is a singer as well (check out
her website or
her MySpace page). I finally got a good look at the flower on her right biceps:
Dana explained that the tattoo is a stargazer lily, inked for inspiration as it represents "always reaching for your dreams". It is one of five tattoos she has.
When I asked her where she had it inked, she started, "A great artist named
Peter...."
I cut her off...."At
Body Art Studios?"
There's something about having been mutually tattooed by the same artist. It's more than just both knowing the same person. You both have let the same person artistically alter your respective bodies for life. I think it's a bond only the tattooed truly understand.
So we chatted and I took pictures of her lily. After we went back inside, I tracked down my wife, Melanie, and brought her over to Dana to introduce her.
Again, there was that connection between the mutually-tattooed. Melanie has had 3 of her 4 tattoos inked by Peter. She showed Dana her tattoos and we chatted awhile.
It was an unexpected bonus to an already festive evening.
My apologies to Dana for the delay in posting this sweet tattoo. Thanks again, Dana, for sharing your lily with us!
Here's a section not visible in the long view, from the inner part of the top of the shoulder/bicep:
That tat was actually from about 6 years ago when I was with a different girl....we decided one day to get matching tats! NOT a good idea, she broke my heart! So I decided after a couple of years to have it covered up! I love butterflies, so my tat guy made it into a big beautiful butterfly, and added a pink rose as well. Under that tat I have my giant sunflower.
The sunflower I got for my ex-girlfriend Jill! We were together for 5 and a half years. All throughout our relationship she would call me sunshine...In that sunflower I also have a ladybug, that is for my twin sister... she loves ladybugs so I added one in!"
