........the Tat Man and me

Way, way, back in my history, in the late 60's, my girlfriend and I were hanging out with friends in San Francisco and we decided to go get tattooed. Tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle had a little shop not far from where we were so we headed down, stood in line for over an hour and waited for our turn with excitement and anxiety mixing.
We felt like we were breaking some archaic rule against women getting tattoos...
Tuttle had been creating buzz for himself by tattooing people like
Cher, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, etc.
All I wanted was the little butterfly above in the photo...

over the years that little butterfly has come to represent freedom and change.
And it had become very faded...

When asked what made tattooing gain in popularity during his early career, Tuttle responded:

"Womens liberation! One hundred percent womens liberation! That put tattooing back on the map. With women getting a new found freedom, they could get tattooed if they so desired. It increased and opened the market by 50% of the population - hell of the human race! For three years, I tattooed almost nothing but women. "

So lovely daughters #1 & #2 pooled their money and bought me a new tattoo for
Mother's Day.
Last Saturday we met for lunch, and then headed to the local tattoo shop where I had a 2pm appointment to get my faded little butterfly made over into something much more glorious.

I knew Jeremy, the Tat Man, was an artist....he 'painted' this beautiful scene on daughter#1's back. Yes, I know it's big...and not for everyone, but it suits her, and makes her happy, and it's beautiful, and it's not on her face!

I had no apprehension or anxiety this time.

I've known jeremey since he was 5...he was the cutest red-headed little boy, so mischievous ...
He and daughter # 1 have been friends since kindergarten.
His mom has been my friend since our first meeting at our daughter's dance class.
I was at Jeremy and his beautiful wife Enis's baby shower.
So knowing him....

I was ready for the new experience of spending the afternoon in a modern day tattoo parlor.

Jeremy knew I wanted a butterfly...there was a little sketch...we picked out my colors...purple, blue, yellow...I gave him free reign to do his thing.
The outlining in black feels a little intense...I think my meditation practice served me. And after a very short time I realized that the pain was going to be easy to ignore, and I was able to relax into it.



The music was loud, but bless jeremy's heart, he switched it from heavy metal to the Doors, something he probably enjoys, himself and puts on for 'older' folks, who are still decorating their bodies with other peoples art.... So loud was alright..even good...


....in fact it sent me back to a time when I would hitchhike into the City and go to Filmore and Winterland to hear the music of the Grateful Dead, The Jefferson Airplane, B.B. King, Santana, The Doors, Janis Joplin....all the bands that were part of the S.F. Summer of Love culture.
And all my colorful friends from that time.



We chatted a little about his new baby girl Athena, who he loves and adores as he does the baby's mother, his wife...his sense of responsibility to them is strong and deep...his love is evident when he looks at them. I was aware that he didn't like to talk a lot while tattooing,
so mostly we were comfortably silent ...
I appreciate his desire to give full attention to what he is doing....he's leaving his mark.



The whole experience was enjoyable
and look at my new tat...!!


I think it's beautiful!!!...
the picture doesn't do it justice..and it's still a little bumpy...
but healing beautifully.

I think it not only represents freedom and change,
but it's also a symbol of things to come....
.of looking forward to a kaleidoscope of new experiences...
.growth, creativity, exploration...

a joyful new phase in my life....