And then there was Mary...

So I took the plunge today.

I have to plug the shop because they did an amazing job with my tattoo. Homeward Bound Tattoo on the El Camino Real in Redwood City. The owner of the shop, Reverend Todd, prepped my arm just before 1 PM and went to town. His speciality is religious art and I wanted an Our Lady of Guadalupe Tattoo. When he showed me what he had sketched today, I have to admit I was a bit hesitant. Initially, I was looking for more of a literal interpretation of the famous work and his sketch was not quite what I had in mind. Still, I had been asking my spirit guide to watch over me and make sure everything turned out ok. I also brought my favorite rosary from Italy with me in case the situation required help above and beyond what my guide could do. The other thing was, the sketch was in black and white and I see now that the color and shading is key. Once he started to add the blue to her coat, I relaxed and began to enjoy the process more.

Every one's big question...did it hurt? The arm is one of the least sensitive spots to get a tattoo, so it was not bad at all. As he started the outline, I would compare the sensation to someone drawing on your skin with a ballpoint pen. Really nothing too big. Near the end of the tattoo as he was completing the shading, my skin got a bit more sensitive and it did hurt a bit. Overall though, I would say the pain never more than a 2 or 3 on a scale of 1-10.

After getting such a cool tattoo, it really does open the floodgates. At the end of the the session, I was already thinking, "What else could I get?" Never fear to the more conservative (and concerned) family and friends, I am not planning another trip to the parlor anytime soon. Still, this piece of artwork will be on my body for the rest of my time on Earth. There is definitely a nostalgic and special feeling to getting a tattoo. You give a lot of thought to what brought you to this point and where you will go in the future.

I know some of you may be saying, "Uh...Mark. Any reason you chose to get the Virgin of Guadalupe?" I have several reasons for getting a tattoo of the Virgin Mary. First, I have deep respect and admiration for the people of Mexico. The Virgin appeared to Juan Diego centuries ago as the Spanish were arriving in the New World and it is believed to be the first appearance of her in this hemisphere. Culturally, I feel very close to Mexicans. I love speaking Spanish and I find such a warmth and vibrance from Latin people in general that I have not found in my own culture. As far as my preference in men goes, yeah that tends strongly skewed in favor of Latinos. Quien savais? Secondly even though I may not practice Catholicism, I do have a strong spiritual connection to everything around me and I know that Mary has been a strong presence in my life from a young age. By having her image on my body, I feel that I pay tribute to her and in return, she is a part of me and provides me protection from harm. Lastly, my mother is going to FLIP when she finds out I have a tattoo. This will likely be up there with me coming out. I figured getting a tattoo of Mary might be a way to soften the blow for my devoutly Catholic mother. Love you Mom.

Well, that is all I have. LASIK surgery tomorrow. The drama continues.

Cuidate.