Inked Up

Ray Bradbury would not be impressed, I'm sure. I'm not even sure the guys of the OCC would look twice, but it was something that I had to do...In addition, there's very little danger of The Mongols or Hell's Angels gang members stopping by to take a gander so it was more of a gesture than an actual statement...more of a hedged bet impulse, I'd say. People have spent hundreds for the same effect that I got for a measley five bucks...money that wasn't even mine: I got it for stopping in to view a new car model (the flyer said I'd WON a new car, but the fine print said it was just 5 bucks). Plenty for what I had in mind.
I felt it WAS time to make a statement of sorts. That's what tattoos are all about, and why I had to get one, well, two actually: one on my hand and one on my leg. My sweetie was taken aback, to be sure, but I think she was generally more amused than anything...mumbling something about not being able to leave me alone at Bayfest for more than five minutes and looking around to buy one of those harnesses people put toddlers in. Suurounded by counter-culture types in a flutter tent, I managed to indicate that it was REAL but not permanent. Street fairs always have stuff like this, and I just figured I would do it for the shock value, so I got an English letter "D" inside a star on my hand and a star on my left leg. The catch, of course, is that they were henna: plant-based and temporary (with no pain or chemical injected into my body), but real nonetheless.
There were shocked comments galore: just the effect for which I had planned; some of the moneyed boosters at the Duquesne Barbecue were seriously impressed that I'd selected their version of the letter "D" for adornment, and I got more than my money's worth out of the effect...until...
My son Blaine (who actually has a REAL, PERMANENT tattoo) looked at it and merely said, "Real men get REAL tattoos." That was it. The thrill of being tatted was gone, and I spent the rest of the weekend with my hand in my pocket as much as possible in order to avoid shaming the real men out there.
I wonder if women (other than dancers) who get inked are designated as "real" too?
Maybe a pierced ear instead of the glue-on thing I have now...