Heart and Dolphin

Something like four years ago, Tammy and I got our first tattoos at a little shop in Paia, Maui. We hemmed and hawed as we looked through the example books to help us pick out this tiny piece of permanent art we were about to put on our bodies. Tammy started chattering away while Maile became deafeningly quiet as we both freaked out in our own ways about the imminent pain. Tammy picked a red heart with a paw print on one corner and Maile picked a blue dolphin with a Maile lei (a fragrant vine worn hanging open-ended to the floor) around its neck, completely signifying our identities, personalities and loves. We both chose to have our respective tattoos placed on our lower right backs, which I later found out is the worst place to have it as this is the area over the kidneys where many nerve endings are right at the surface especially sensitive to pain - great, yeah, uhuh!

We both climbed into dentist-like black leather chairs, and because our tattoos were on our backs, we couldn't see exactly what was happening or when it was going to hit - thank goodness, I think. It was the longest 20 minutes of my life as I felt excruciating sharp, short slices into the surface of my back, sweat running down my leg as I clawed at a pillow. Tammy has a high threshhold for pain, but I don't - we winced at each other with every whirr, cut and re-ink. Some big Hawaiian dude was getting his 55th tattoo on his arm in the same room, and he actually looked like he was enjoying the pain. OK!

Done! We got out of our chairs and admired our war wounds - we are officially blood sisters! Woo, everytime I catch a glimpse of my tattoo when I'm trying on clothes or something, it brings out a feeling of pride - it's me, it's my mark, it's something that not everyone gets to see and it's mine forever. Tammy and I will always remember that day, and anytime someone asks me if I have a tattoo, I say yes, and if they ask me if it hurt, I won't lie - I yell HELL YEAH! Hee hee. But it was worth it.