Eivissa: Starter Tattoo

After years of indecision, I finally got inked—with henna. During a night stroll through San Antonio. A little reptile on my left arm. The tattoo artist was a sweet hunk called Joachim. He wanted to charge me 15 Euros. That wasn't so sweet to me.

Me: For this itty bitty gecko? I don't think so.

Joachim: Okay, 12 Euros. A really good deal because the design is intricate and takes more time to do....

Hmm mm.... I looked over at other designs, trying to imagine the finished product on my skin, wondering why for years I hesitated about getting marked. I've pointed to the difficulty of settling on a design or choosing a location or the effect of time on the skin and thus the tattoo. Other times it's been me looking ahead—30 years and staring at an inky blotch on my body and maybe thinking, “What was that all about?....”

I remember getting my navel pierced in college and for a while being mesmerized by stainless steel hanging out of my flesh. Of course, the novelty faded and eventually it seemed as natural/mundane as having ten fingers. Until recently when I began to feel a soreness around the ring, and wondered if it was time to part ways with this memento from my youth.

A ring you can remove. A tattoo, not so easy. But I'm still enticed by the thought of getting one. After abandoning braids it took about two years of twisting my hair before I committed to dreadlocks. And I don't regret the decision. Staring at the henna hunk's sketches got me thinking: Exploring tattoos via henna could provide gradual steps to getting one permanently. Or perhaps I don't even need to ever make a commitment—just experience tattoos vicariously.

Joachim: Okay, if you don't want to pay more then choose something else, like these (pointing to a group of big blocky tribal tattoos). The gecko will fade sooner anyways because it takes less ink....

Bingo. I looked at him, all smiles.

Me: Less ink, less money. 10 Euros.

Joachim: (Laughing) God, you're worse than the Italians!

He got me later though.

Me (to Darcie): After all these years, I'm getting a tattoo....

Joachim: (Smirking) Yeah, and it's fake!

Touche.