The Faded Rambling Rose Adventure – Boomer Tattoos

It’s 1998 and we’re after our first tattoos. First of all, let me explain. The “we” I am referring to is my Sister and myself. Living in the state Tattoo shops near me of Oklahoma at the time, we were surprised to find that the art of Tattooing was illegal. Now there was a surprise. The Bible Belt state didn’t approve of Body Art.Here we were, two forty-ish, liberated women and we were ready to make a statement about our identity. The fact that Tattoos were illegal made it a bit more appealing to us. Consequently, the road trip began. Crossing over the State Line into Arkansas, we stopped at the first advertised Tattoo Parlor. That ‘s what they called it, a Tattoo Parlor. Made me think we were about to be courted, and in a way, I suppose we were. We were greeted by two young men wearing button down shirts looking their Sunday best. They were charming (does anyone outside of Disneyland even use that word anymore? ) and introduced us to the various Tattoo options. I settled on a tiny red heart for my wrist and my Sister chose the more popular Rambling Rose for her ankle. When it was all done, two proudly tattooed and giddy rebels crossed over the State Line and back into Oklahoma.

As time would have it, the skills of our two dashing young men began to show in their artwork. My delicate little heart healed quickly and held its color over the years. However, my Sister’s Rambling Rose became oozy and infected and finally over the years the inks bled into one another leaving a murky, splotch on her ankle.

Fast forward to 2008 and once again our Tattoos were of paramount importance. Well into our fifty’s, we both were ready to shake it up again and our rebel spirits began to rise as we passed the more updated Ink shops in San diego. where I had relocated from those Oklahoma Hills. But this time, there were so many options. We passed by several refined establishments hoping to make better choices. None of this running into the first place we came across. This time we would use our years of wisdom and increased maturity to engage the best artist in town. We finally made a well thought out decision to use the last shop we encountered before rushing to the sanity of reality that most Grandmothers wake up to each day.

This time we were again greeted at the door by two young men; Dejavu. But the times, they are a changing! Black tees with images of bands that would blast our smooth jazz favorites to the wind, piercings, plugs, and mohawks. And… tattoos from head to toe, literally. Now my years living down by the beach in San diego had allowed me to acclimate to this artful vision; however, for a sheltered girl from Kansas, that would be my Sister, a nervous flutter crossed her face and I knew we were in the right shop!

After an hour of consultation, we finally decided to hold off on new tattoos and my Sister engaged in a rebirth of her rose. The cover up art created by this talented Michelangelo defies logic. From the dreary splotch emerged a beautiful, delicate, full rose bud that if not in an area attached to a foot, one might be likely to stop and smell the roses! A job well done.

Now it might seem that this would be the end of my ramblings about a rose, but my rebel fire has not subsided, so they will see my face again in “the last tattoo shop on the way out of town. ” I believe there is a special spot right behind my left ear that begs for the attention of a Tattoo Parlor Michelangelo. And so the adventure continuesEvery person who has ever gotten a tattoo had to start with an idea for its design. Of course, sometimes this is done on a dare, as in the case of the Rolex one that Mark McGrath received after a night of drinking. Let’s just say that he called it his dumbest tat. Don’t make the same mistake. Choose your tattoo wisely. Do your research ahead of time and go into the shop with a clear image of what you would like to receive, otherwise, you may end up hating your chosen design the next day or you may choose one that will become embarrassing later in life. Any inked design that you put on your body should be somewhat unique in that there should be a reason or a meaning behind the design you choose. Don’t just find yourself in the tattoo parlor with a blank stare on your face searching through thousands of images… do some research before ever stepping inside the shop.

If you are a girl, maybe you would like to have one in the shape of a heart or maybe a butterfly. If you are a man, maybe the tribal designs are more to your liking. Whichever is the case for you, take your time and search out the online galleries of art available. At home, using the online gallery, you will not feel so rushed to make a decision. You can take as long as you like to look at the images. Once you find a few you like print them out and ask you friends what they think. They will give you an honest opinion and tell you what they like best. Remember, this tattoo will be with you for a long time… maybe forever, so make sure you pick the one right for you.