U2HEARTS

This was my license plate for more then 15 years. It was from U2-Two Hearts on the War album, my favorite U2 album. It is my email address as well. I recently turned in my plates and became incognito driving around town. I gave my old car to my daughter and leased a new car. A black car. I haven’t owned a black car since I was 17 years old and totaled my black car the day after I got my drivers license.

This is my Raven, my alter Ego tattoo. Raven was my somewhat goth girl. She’d stay out until 4am hanging out at her local bar pretending she can play pool. She was fun, out going, flirtatious and sexy. She knew how to play and was thicker skinned then Jamie is. She had an edge and liked people who had an edge. She was daring and to a degree dangerous. Definitely spontaneous and extremely dark. She was everything Jamie wasn’t. When MS took a left turn to worseville Raven went away mostly. However I look down at my wrist so happy this tattoo is there because it’s a reminder that she is a part of me somewhere even if she has been silenced.

My very first tattoo right after my divorce. I just turned 35. I’ve collected Humpty Dumpty dolls by a company called Plakie my who life. The company has long been gone but they pop up on eBay every now and again. I’ve had these dolls since I was a baby. It’s no surprise it was my first tattoo to anyone who knows me. I’ve named him lucky and I love him as much today as I did 10 years ago when I got him.  The tattoo artist was this huge guy covered in tattoos from top to bottom and as he is putting this on me he stops and looks at me and says “what the fuck is this?” It’s one of my favorite tattoo stories. I put the real thing with this so you can see how great of a job he did. That little indent was because my leg twitched, an MS moment.

This will always be a favorite. Again a humpty related tattoo. My daughter drew this humpty when she was about 6 for me. I loved how the lines were attached to the mouth the eyes were outside the lines everything was endearing. I wanted to tattooed the exact same way  imperfections and all.  Now that she’s 17 it becomes even more meaningful because she was so young. It is the cutest tattoo. Was

My least favorite because I forget they are there, my stars. It’s for my last name. The big one is me in my favorite color other than black which is yellow and the little one represents my daughter in pink.

My final tattoo which will be my Boomer’s paw print. He was my first dog that I personally owned. He was with me through the two toughest times in my life, my divorce and my breakup. My loyal companion and friend who will always have a spot in my heart nothing will ever replace. A tear falls just thinking of this.

This is my past, present and even my future. My identifiers and art. My meanings and reasons and heart. When I’m 85 I’ll still love them all.