I'll show me mine, if you show me yours...

Of course I can't force you to show me yours but I'd love it if you did.

HEY! Whoa there. I'm not talking about your ta-tas, whoo-hoos, ding-dongs, or ring-a-ling ding-dangs. I'm talking body art.

I've seen the posts out there, I know there are lots of people out there with tats. Lovely tattoos done for beautiful reasons.

Here is mine:



Least muffiney top photo and due to pasty white flesh, flash makes mine look kinda sorry but I love it.

HEY! Stop making fun of my apple covered undies. Your just jealous and want your own pair.

I had my tattoo done about ten years ago. Dreaming of getting one ever since I was a kid (seriously), I did recognize the permanence and importance of selecting something I could literally live with forever, so I waited what felt like forever.

Elephants have always been that animal for me. Sure, I love cats, dogs, monkeys, tigers, and all the beautiful (and not so beautiful) beasts but elephants fascinate me.

First time I saw a live elephant was at the Circus Vargas. My dad took us to an old school circus when it came to town (complete with freak show - oh how politically incorrect).

The elephants towered over all the beasts and to see small children riding on top during the intermission was awe inducing.

Now don't go all PETA on me, I wouldn't go to an animal-based circus these days even if they paid me, but this was in the early days of animal rights.

The elephants were completely 100% mind-blowing to this seven year old.

Over the years, any opportunity to see an elephant and all animals was not passed up. Demands for zoo visits in every city we went on vacation were high up on my list of things to do. I remember being crushed the day it rained in Quebec City - that was zoo day! I never did get to that zoo. My home town didn't have an exotic zoo. Lots of fun farms and wildlife preserves, but no elephants for me.

When in Thailand, elephants were seen more frequently. Sometimes used for labour and mostly as tourist attractions, it was heartbreaking to see it each and every time. The conditions were sad and maddening inducing feelings of helplessness. Some handlers were better than others, but overall it was a sad experience.

During my psychology undergrad, I took a course in animal behaviour. While elephants weren't part of the regular curriculum, my prof listened to me babble on about my love of the pachyderms (and monkeys) and encouraged me to read the book "When Elephants Weep: The emotional lives of animals" (I was able to do a paper for extra credit - score!). This book was eye-opening and solidified my love.

Elephants are matriarchal, remember their dead, communicate over vast distances via vibrations, to just to name a few fascinating facts (fascinating to me). And any female that can stand being pregnant for 22 months gets a standing ovation from me.

So upon completion of that book, I decided on my tattoo.

[I also cannot help but mention another elephant book that floats my boat: The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy. Think Watership Down with elephants but I read this post tattoo.]

So, wanna share your body art story?

Pictures aren't necessary (but nice) and like other people's purses and bags, I love reading people's stories about body art. Leave me a comment, I want to read your story. Maybe you've already posted about it. So in theory, this a meme - share and I'll make the links here so others can enjoy your story.

BTW - I'm looking for inspiration for my next piece of body art and where else could be a better inspiration but inside the conversation of this loving circle of friends (some new, some old, and some never met).

And don't worry, I won't "steal" your tattoo because tats are like baby names: territorial. I'm looking for inspiration.