the pumpkin tattoo

Several months ago I sat in a meeting with my team, my coworkers and people I am developing strong and lasting friendships with. We were asked to introduce ourselves and to share a personal fun fact. Directly across the room from me sat a sales coworker just a little older than me. She dresses stylish yet conservative. Her hair is short, her nails long; both attended to nicely. She has grown children, two grandchildren, a husband and a soft spot for her forelegged friend of the canine variety. She is very normal, middle America, mom next door, PTA president, Mac and cheese making lady. In her job she's successful and admired. Her fun fact was that she has a rose tattoo on her shoulder. I wasn't shocked at all but immediately I started envisioning how she came to have a rose tattoo on her body. Was she drunk? Maybe a dare? Is that the only tattoo she has? Did she go at night to the ink shop or after brunch with the PTA ladies? Was it a sketchy neighborhood or maybe she had a friend in the business? What other designs did she consider? Unfortunately, we where not encouraged to linger on any one fun fact during the introductions. Still why the rose? Maybe that's her middle name our her mothers name (it's my mothers name but I never thought of getting it on my body) . She didn't say what color it is or the type of rose? Is it opened or a bud? I wonder if it has thorns. Strangely the meaning of all these different characteristics is available online for your googling enjoyment. I haven't yet seen the coworkers rose ut given what I know about her I expect it is a traditional red rose representing true love. I bet it has a couple of leaves showing and it is a partially opened bloom. The number of pedals can also contain symbolism. Curiosity plays a big role in fueling my imagination. So yesterday whilst in Memphis we toured the Sun Studio. We had a fabulous tour guide! She was energetic and engaging in a surprising and welcoming manner. However, as I listened to her I couldn't help but notice the large tattoos across her chest and down the outside of her right arm. The neck line of shirt left most of the lettering on her chest visible and it appeared to read 'honkytonk angel'. At the top of her right arm she had a rocket with a cowgirl lassoing into space. Just above that concerned me. No, it wasn't vulger or inappropriate. It was Jack O'latternO'lattern. I didn't Google the meaning of the pumpkin tat because all II could think of was how drunk must you get at Octoberfest to get a pumpkin tattoo? I don't have any tattoos but it's not because I haven't thought about it from time to time. It's because I could never decide on an image that would represent me for the rest of my life. I have many friends that sport many artful designs across their bodies. My oldest son has some tattoos that only his mother loves as much as he does. But as I said, I am curious. Why did you, blog reader, friend, family, get the tattoo that you did? What does it symbolize to you? Are you happy with it? Does it make you smile in your heart when you look at it and think about the time when it was new? Please share.