
Tatoo: Ink180 http://www.ink180.com
Daugther, husband and I were walking down the street together not too long ago and the conversation turned to tattoos. My husband hates them and finds all of them ugly. Our son can’t wait to get one. I think some of them are just fine and have toyed with the idea of getting one myself. Here was the conversation.
Me: I don’t know. I think some tattoos are ok.
Husband: Hmph.
Me: Maybe I’ll get one across my low back, you know, right above my butt.
Daughter: And it can say “Kiss This.”
Note: Ink180 is a tatoo parlor located in Oswego, IL, not too far from my home. It is a non-profit ministry, founded by tatoo artist Chris Baker, dedicated to “transforming gang & human trafficking tattoos into something beautiful.”
While I knew about gang tatooing, I had no idea that pimps would tatoo the women and men who work for them as a symbol of ownership. Ink180 donates coverup tatoos to help former gang members and sex workers leave their past lives. When son turns 18, I’m suggesting he go to Ink180.
Here’s an example of a coverup tat’ . . .

Cover up tatoo by Ink180. http://www.ink180.com
After my son got his first one I decided that there were worse things…… I think he has 4 now, 2 of which he designed himself. They have not changed who he is as a person and for reasons that I may never understand, they mean something to him. I think back to the fit my father had when my sister and I got our ears pierced!!!! Oh boy!
Oh, the pierced ears! My grandmother thought it was defiling your body. But, she also believed that God created one’s body so therefore it was perfect and one shouldn’t malign or amend what God had created.
Your daughter is seriously hilarious!
She is. Thanks! It’s interesting to hear very adult things coming out of her 10 year old mouth
The re-tat is beautiful. My problem with tattoos is they’re so permanent. I don’t wear the same clothes or jewelry everyday. I wear temporary tattoos.
I love the re-tats and the idea behind them. I have never worn a tat of any kind, but have lots of friends who have them.
Great idea on the re-tatting. Love that daughter of yours. But think about your aging body before you get that tattoo. It might not look so hot when you’re 80.
I’d have to get the tat on a part that doesn’t wrinkle. Trying to figure out what part that might be.
I was recently watching one of those reality shows where tattoo artists compete for the title, and one of the challenges was to redo prison and gang tats. Some of them turned out amazingly beautifully. You would never know there was crappy ink under them. And I love your daughter’s suggestion for a tat for you.
I kind of like her suggestion, but my husband would leave me.
Now I want to go there and get a tattoo!
I know! Come up. Bring the kids. I’ll watch the babies while you get the tat’.
How wonderful that artist doe re-tats. It can make such a huge difference in feeling good about yourself ( and making a change in direction in life) as well as being beautiful.
There’s a huge business here in tat removal as some “outgrow” the urge/ leave gangs/ find tats can hinder a career. Our young single mom neighbor is having her “it was cute then” tats removed – it takes several sessions and not totally painless. But she’s determined.
I’m too nervous about any kind of needles….and all the young docs I know just laugh and shiver about how bad tats look on old wrinkled skin as people age…they’ve seen a lot in the ERs
All I can say is make sure you pick a design you really really like ( no names..you might break up!) and put it in a place where the skin won’t sag.
Good for your neighbor. I hope it’s not TOO painful. I think about the only place that isn’t going to wrinkle is my ankle. And I hear that really hurts! But, as I said, my husband would leave me. So, no tat.