Why I Got my First Tattoo at Age 38
In the fall semester of my 8th grade year, I began writing in a diary for the first time.
The best part is…I kept it.
In my very first entry, littered amongst an update on the OJ Simpson trial, a twitter patted description of my crush Evan Lindsey (“He’s really cute and has gorgeous eyes.”) and the business plan for a line of clothing called “Forever Young” was the pre-teen yearning for body modification.
Let’s take a moment to savor - verbatim - the earnest angsty outpouring of my 8th grade self.
October 15, 1995
Dear Diary,
To fill you in on everything is a good way to start….I really want to get my ears double pierced. I think my Mom is giving in, at least I hope so. I also want to get a purple butterfly or a blue flower real tattoo on my ankle, and I want to get my belly button pierced. I hate that my parents don’t take me seriously. I’m really serious about it though!
Well, the piercings all came to fruition within a few years, but I never did get that purple butterfly. My young kiddos and I could have really bonded over that artistic choice, but it wasn’t until many years later that I would decide to permanently ink myself and live out my teen rebellion. Clearly, the desire for creative expression in this format has been long standing, but it took me awhile to land on the perfect first tattoo.
Often it takes a big event to shake you up and move you to take the leap you’ve been noodling on. In my case, it took a big ole cliché for me to say “fuck it” let’s get some rad ink on this skin suit before I start looking like a fleshy waterfall.
That cliché would be divorce, and I am proudly living out some of its greatest hits. I decided early in 2020 that it was high time I made the commitment to body art, so I began going through a mental rolodex of things/people/expressions that were important enough to stand up to a “what’s the story behind that?” every time I rolled up my sleeve in social situations.
After exhaustive research, a Pinterest board of tat inspiration and convincing myself there’s no way it could be as painful as labor and child birth, I made the call. I wanted something that represented both my past and who I wanted to become (keep those cliches rolling!), and the answer was so clear. Written out in on trend script, visible yet tasteful for high brow occasions – my childhood wrestling stage name ‘Snakeskin Annie’.
I spent a good portion of my youth grappling in theatrical costume with my brothers and Father, and let me tell you, that bitch was fearless. She was bold and strong and funny, and I wanted to remind myself to live out that joy and freedom and power. The irony here is that at the age of 13, I wanted a tattoo to express myself in a very adult way, but by the time I finally got one I called on the wisdom of my inner child to guide me.
When I truly dig into the “why” of it all, getting a tattoo was my way of connecting to the parts of me I love the most and reminding me to honor that little girl who was way cooler than any tattoo ever could be.
Stephanie Anne Fonda aka ‘Snakeskin Annie’ circa 1986
How about you dear friend? Have you got a tattoo? Thinking about one? What’s your why…or why not.
With love,
Steph
