And parents, a suggestion if I may. Please sit down and ask what your students learned and liked about any of their classes this week...
I just retired (last week) and jumped right into teaching fifth grade mathematics! It is loads of fun, lots of work and is already rewarding.... but please ask and engage with them!
In the UK a visible tattoo is even more popular than ever and certainly no longer reserved for the old fashioned working class. I run a small construction company and a colleague did a quick survey of how many members of staff had one or more pieces of inked artwork. Her findings may be surprising in that nearly 50% of staff have ink and just over 52% of them are female. We are an equal opportunity employer with 52% female staff too. It is cool to have a tattoo here and a talking point for many, though at 65 I still have not ventured there yet, but still time.
Not as much as you may think, time that is. Skin changes with aging as we lose collagen and our canvas gets more fragile and wrinkley. It will depend too on how well you’ve taken care of your canvas and how much weight you’re carrying. That matters. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve dropped weight so my skin is crapey now. A tattoo artist won’t touch it. It’s very different from when I was in my early 60s and firmer.
Hi SPW, good to hear from a reader who also takes time to feedback. Looks like I need to get a move on and have my design done now, I will ask the question about my canvas and placement. My 65th is on 27th September. Have you any artwork yourself? I have just returned from a week in Malta where is seems over 40% of locals and tourists have a tattoo, even my wife commented on the tattoos and said we are unusual not having artwork done! She would not commit to inking but offered to pay for me on my birthday! Who knows
People seem to forget our skin is our largest organ. I often wonder if they'd get their liver or kidney or heart tattooed like they do their skin. When you have surgery, they consider tattoos scar tissue. I guess you can tell, I'm not in the inking fan club :>)
Tattoos don’t age well; that foxy lady you got when you were just barely legal? She’s fading in some areas and the outlines of her features haven’t stood up to daily life, like that accident you had that that cut across her. Of course, your tattoos are still doing better than your high school girlfriend’s; her “tramp stamp” is now three times its original size and didn’t resize equally in all dimensions ……
I’m retired military and have no tattoos. Neither does my wife. Both our adult children and their spouses do though. Shrug. I default to George Carlin’s advice in the ‘60s — why make it easier for the police to identify you?
My daughter's birth father showed us a barcode of his SSN tattooed on the back of his neck, when we were at the hospital to adopt her. I asked if that was so they could scan it to identify him if he passes out face down.
I got my first tattoos 27 yrs ago, back when it was rare for a professional woman/PTA mama to have one, and there were stereotypes about folks who did (bikers, punks). They were smallish and are symbols of unity, respect for others. I have since added several more, all along the same theme. Over the years, it has become common place - i know as many people with at least one as those with none. It should be noted that I only have regular ear piercings, and other kinds of permanent/long term body adornments are not my jam.
I remember getting my hair cut one time, it was sometime between 1996 and 1998 (based on where I was living at the time), and the woman cutting my hair was 24. She lifted her shirt and showed me the beautiful sunshine tattoo that had her belly button right in the middle of it. It really was a beautiful work of art. Innocently enough I asked what will happen to it when she decides to have kids. She got very serious and said she hadn't even thought of that.
I remember being 24. 😂
On the flip side, we learned early on that first responders very rarely look for a medic alert bracelet, necklace, anklet, etc. So my son (who has a bleeding disorder) is getting his medic alert tattooed on the inside of his wrist. For those curious about bleeding disorder + Tattoo, he will be fine as long as he does his infusion of clotting factor the same day.
Tattoos - hmmm. I never liked them and thought they would always be out of place in my world and workplace but then, I met some wonderfully talented, smart folks with strong work ethics and my view has changed over the years. I would never get one but my best employee has arm sleeves that at one time would have offended me. Haha! It appears many of our clients have them as well. Who knew???
Funny thing about tattoos. I have drawn several that i thought i wanted over the years, but have never pulled the trigger. However, for my 50th birthday, my daughter has scheduled a matching tattoo session for the two of us. So, next month my answer to the survey will change.
Both my wife and I have tattoos and want to get more. When asked why we have tattoos, my wife always says "if God didn't want me to have tattoos he wouldn't have given me a blank canvas." For us tattoos are addictive and each tattoo has a meaning behind it. And we just think they look cool as well.
Tattoos are great -- on other people! They are meaningful works of Art on the canvas of one's own body.
I, however, choose 1) not to endure the discomfort (pain?) of the process and 2) have been blessed with a very large birthmark in a very "public" space, plus in some more "private" spaces as well. I don't feel the need to "adorn" my body with any more than what the good Lord saw fit to put there. It's something that, while I have grown accustomed to it and accept it, nevertheless I wish that it did not exist. (But then, if that were the case, I might not exist either, and I do love Life and am thankful every day to be alive, especially at my age!)
Generally, acceptance is pretty easy. Sometimes it's hard, though, and I have a mantra that helps me -- one of several that I hold dear -- "In acceptance lieth peace." I find that that way of thinking comes in handy in LOTS of situations, even if it's simply admiring at least some of the differences among the peoples of the Earth.
It might seem that I've digressed from the original topic of Tattoos, but if you really think about it, isn't the question of are they acceptable or not, or are they beautiful or not, or whatever one might ask simply a matter of acceptance of others' choices in this life?
My brother hates tattoos but he's aware his kids may be of a different mindset. I have 2, one I love and one I regret. He asked me to explain it to them so that they can make an informed decision and I believe that is a wise way to parent.
But don't worry, I have found an artist to correct the one I hate. Someone told me that the only tattoos you don't regret are the ones that have a deep personal meaning and I second that!
I don't have any tattoos, but some on others look pretty good; others, not so good. Whenever possible, I ask people the story/ies behind theirs. In general, they enjoy telling the story, & often it's really interesting.
What I'm not crazy about is how much it costs & I know some people who really could, imo, be spending their money more wisely...
separate note - spent the day at a wonderful memorial service for the daughter of some neighbors. OMG, the stories told about this young woman were so special. She touched so many people, in so many ways. A Christian, a teacher. She was in her 40's, had a son out of college & she got to just see her daughter graduate from college. Her parents, our neighbors, are wonderful people, truly great role models. Needless to say, seeing a parent go thru the death of a child is heartbreaking.
Bill, the Wa-Po link opened but only once. I couldn’t go back to it to double check a few things as I need to do sometimes. I almost didn’t read it until I spied a name, Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, in the article that led me to read further. From that name I read that the author was referring to the branch of yoga called Kundalini. I used to practice
Kundalini for several years before all my orthopedic replacements and repairs and loved doing it. As an advanced senior, I should probably start the breathing exercises again. My memory was sharper when I was going to four classes a week. One doesn’t learn dozens of chants with a lame brain so all the breathing we did in class really helped with that. My body overall was stronger then too. It was a special time in my life.
Bill, you’re a prolific writer. How do you feel about using AI in English or any other classes? I kind of look at it like cheating at golf. You aren’t hurting anyone but yourself in the long term. If you don’t use your brain for something, it will become useless. Dementia anyone?
By the way, I have three tattoos that I’ve had for years. In some unexplained way as a child I was always fascinated by a tiny hole in the wall tattoo shop that had a neon sign “TATTOOS” in the one window. Tattoo was one of the first words I learned to spell. My mother would never tell me what was going on there(I was young); all she would say though was, “It’s trashy”. Of course as I got older I learned very well what inking was and still loved it. In my very early 30s I found myself in New Orleans on North Ramparts Street getting my first inking; a rose bloom on my right shoulder. My mother about had a case of the vapors. My now ex husband had the good sense to mind his own damn business. Later on when I got my other two, the love of my life love them and told me so. Quite a difference.
Well, that’s it from down here in the tropics. Y’all have a great weekend.
Have a great weekend...be kind to one another!
And parents, a suggestion if I may. Please sit down and ask what your students learned and liked about any of their classes this week...
I just retired (last week) and jumped right into teaching fifth grade mathematics! It is loads of fun, lots of work and is already rewarding.... but please ask and engage with them!
STLJoe
In the UK a visible tattoo is even more popular than ever and certainly no longer reserved for the old fashioned working class. I run a small construction company and a colleague did a quick survey of how many members of staff had one or more pieces of inked artwork. Her findings may be surprising in that nearly 50% of staff have ink and just over 52% of them are female. We are an equal opportunity employer with 52% female staff too. It is cool to have a tattoo here and a talking point for many, though at 65 I still have not ventured there yet, but still time.
Not as much as you may think, time that is. Skin changes with aging as we lose collagen and our canvas gets more fragile and wrinkley. It will depend too on how well you’ve taken care of your canvas and how much weight you’re carrying. That matters. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve dropped weight so my skin is crapey now. A tattoo artist won’t touch it. It’s very different from when I was in my early 60s and firmer.
Hi SPW, good to hear from a reader who also takes time to feedback. Looks like I need to get a move on and have my design done now, I will ask the question about my canvas and placement. My 65th is on 27th September. Have you any artwork yourself? I have just returned from a week in Malta where is seems over 40% of locals and tourists have a tattoo, even my wife commented on the tattoos and said we are unusual not having artwork done! She would not commit to inking but offered to pay for me on my birthday! Who knows
People seem to forget our skin is our largest organ. I often wonder if they'd get their liver or kidney or heart tattooed like they do their skin. When you have surgery, they consider tattoos scar tissue. I guess you can tell, I'm not in the inking fan club :>)
Tattoos don’t age well; that foxy lady you got when you were just barely legal? She’s fading in some areas and the outlines of her features haven’t stood up to daily life, like that accident you had that that cut across her. Of course, your tattoos are still doing better than your high school girlfriend’s; her “tramp stamp” is now three times its original size and didn’t resize equally in all dimensions ……
OUTstanding!! Made me laugh out loud…
You’re right about that so when I got mine, I thought very hard about placement. I’m 78 now and it paid off.
I’m retired military and have no tattoos. Neither does my wife. Both our adult children and their spouses do though. Shrug. I default to George Carlin’s advice in the ‘60s — why make it easier for the police to identify you?
My daughter's birth father showed us a barcode of his SSN tattooed on the back of his neck, when we were at the hospital to adopt her. I asked if that was so they could scan it to identify him if he passes out face down.
I got my first tattoos 27 yrs ago, back when it was rare for a professional woman/PTA mama to have one, and there were stereotypes about folks who did (bikers, punks). They were smallish and are symbols of unity, respect for others. I have since added several more, all along the same theme. Over the years, it has become common place - i know as many people with at least one as those with none. It should be noted that I only have regular ear piercings, and other kinds of permanent/long term body adornments are not my jam.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Hi Bill, the link is still asking for us to subscribe.
I remember getting my hair cut one time, it was sometime between 1996 and 1998 (based on where I was living at the time), and the woman cutting my hair was 24. She lifted her shirt and showed me the beautiful sunshine tattoo that had her belly button right in the middle of it. It really was a beautiful work of art. Innocently enough I asked what will happen to it when she decides to have kids. She got very serious and said she hadn't even thought of that.
I remember being 24. 😂
On the flip side, we learned early on that first responders very rarely look for a medic alert bracelet, necklace, anklet, etc. So my son (who has a bleeding disorder) is getting his medic alert tattooed on the inside of his wrist. For those curious about bleeding disorder + Tattoo, he will be fine as long as he does his infusion of clotting factor the same day.
That is a wonderful idea! I am hyper sensitive to certain drugs like anesthetics, probably I should look into something like this.
Tattoos - hmmm. I never liked them and thought they would always be out of place in my world and workplace but then, I met some wonderfully talented, smart folks with strong work ethics and my view has changed over the years. I would never get one but my best employee has arm sleeves that at one time would have offended me. Haha! It appears many of our clients have them as well. Who knew???
Have a great weekend all!
It’s catching.
Funny thing about tattoos. I have drawn several that i thought i wanted over the years, but have never pulled the trigger. However, for my 50th birthday, my daughter has scheduled a matching tattoo session for the two of us. So, next month my answer to the survey will change.
Both my wife and I have tattoos and want to get more. When asked why we have tattoos, my wife always says "if God didn't want me to have tattoos he wouldn't have given me a blank canvas." For us tattoos are addictive and each tattoo has a meaning behind it. And we just think they look cool as well.
Tattoos are great -- on other people! They are meaningful works of Art on the canvas of one's own body.
I, however, choose 1) not to endure the discomfort (pain?) of the process and 2) have been blessed with a very large birthmark in a very "public" space, plus in some more "private" spaces as well. I don't feel the need to "adorn" my body with any more than what the good Lord saw fit to put there. It's something that, while I have grown accustomed to it and accept it, nevertheless I wish that it did not exist. (But then, if that were the case, I might not exist either, and I do love Life and am thankful every day to be alive, especially at my age!)
Generally, acceptance is pretty easy. Sometimes it's hard, though, and I have a mantra that helps me -- one of several that I hold dear -- "In acceptance lieth peace." I find that that way of thinking comes in handy in LOTS of situations, even if it's simply admiring at least some of the differences among the peoples of the Earth.
It might seem that I've digressed from the original topic of Tattoos, but if you really think about it, isn't the question of are they acceptable or not, or are they beautiful or not, or whatever one might ask simply a matter of acceptance of others' choices in this life?
I think the pain issue is one for me, too.
My brother hates tattoos but he's aware his kids may be of a different mindset. I have 2, one I love and one I regret. He asked me to explain it to them so that they can make an informed decision and I believe that is a wise way to parent.
But don't worry, I have found an artist to correct the one I hate. Someone told me that the only tattoos you don't regret are the ones that have a deep personal meaning and I second that!
I don't have any tattoos, but some on others look pretty good; others, not so good. Whenever possible, I ask people the story/ies behind theirs. In general, they enjoy telling the story, & often it's really interesting.
What I'm not crazy about is how much it costs & I know some people who really could, imo, be spending their money more wisely...
separate note - spent the day at a wonderful memorial service for the daughter of some neighbors. OMG, the stories told about this young woman were so special. She touched so many people, in so many ways. A Christian, a teacher. She was in her 40's, had a son out of college & she got to just see her daughter graduate from college. Her parents, our neighbors, are wonderful people, truly great role models. Needless to say, seeing a parent go thru the death of a child is heartbreaking.
Well… I see a trend in your audience Bill.
Me, I have a tattoo that extends from right foot to my left arm. Big piece of art, 2 dragons.
From whom I receive more compliments? Oddly enough, old ladies
Bill, the Wa-Po link opened but only once. I couldn’t go back to it to double check a few things as I need to do sometimes. I almost didn’t read it until I spied a name, Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, in the article that led me to read further. From that name I read that the author was referring to the branch of yoga called Kundalini. I used to practice
Kundalini for several years before all my orthopedic replacements and repairs and loved doing it. As an advanced senior, I should probably start the breathing exercises again. My memory was sharper when I was going to four classes a week. One doesn’t learn dozens of chants with a lame brain so all the breathing we did in class really helped with that. My body overall was stronger then too. It was a special time in my life.
Bill, you’re a prolific writer. How do you feel about using AI in English or any other classes? I kind of look at it like cheating at golf. You aren’t hurting anyone but yourself in the long term. If you don’t use your brain for something, it will become useless. Dementia anyone?
By the way, I have three tattoos that I’ve had for years. In some unexplained way as a child I was always fascinated by a tiny hole in the wall tattoo shop that had a neon sign “TATTOOS” in the one window. Tattoo was one of the first words I learned to spell. My mother would never tell me what was going on there(I was young); all she would say though was, “It’s trashy”. Of course as I got older I learned very well what inking was and still loved it. In my very early 30s I found myself in New Orleans on North Ramparts Street getting my first inking; a rose bloom on my right shoulder. My mother about had a case of the vapors. My now ex husband had the good sense to mind his own damn business. Later on when I got my other two, the love of my life love them and told me so. Quite a difference.
Well, that’s it from down here in the tropics. Y’all have a great weekend.