Video: Carol’s Tattoo

The Why

I have wanted a tattoo all my life, but the stars never aligned. I couldn’t find the right design, or the right artist, or I was too busy. All that changed a couple of weeks ago. Finally, with Mike’s help, I had a design I liked and an artist whose work I admired. You see, when Karen and Michael came to visit, they decided, well Karen decided, that they should get tattoos. Before they flew out to visit us, they had spent a few weeks in South America, including time at a research station deep in the heart of the Amazon (the river, not the e-store – sheesh!). Then those crazy kids went ahead and tattooed matching trees on themselves. Dairon inked both of them.

THE TATTOOIST

Dairon is an artist in residence here in Cartagena. He did fantastic work on Karen and Michael and fully inspired me. He is entirely self-taught. As he explains, he grew up drawing and drawing and drawing. About eight years ago he started tattooing, first on himself, then on friends. After three years of practice, he went pro and hasn’t looked back.

Christmas came and went. We knocked on the door of the studio in early January only to find out Dairon wasn’t there. Check back in a week, the receptionist suggested. A week later Dairon had officially left that studio and moved on. I managed to track him down via WhatsApp. The marvel of modern communications. Who needs phone calls? The good news was Dairon had moved to Somnium Ink Studio only a few blocks away. Somnium looks like the kind of place serious artists work. Indeed, the in-house team competes internationally, and wins. The die was cast.

The Meaning

As I explain in the video, my tattoo is a swallow carrying a red thread and banner with the word Misneach written across it. Swallows are a traditional motif for sailor’s tattoos. They represent a life of adventure and surety of finding your way home. Tradition also dictates that for every 5,000 nautical miles sailed, you ink another swallow. Mike, with his new tattoo, and I now have three swallows between us. That’s appropriate given we’ve sailed about 15,000 miles.

Misneach is an ancient Celtic word that translates as courage, or more roughly, stay with the boat. Misneach features prominently in one of Aleta’s favorite books, The Plover, by Brian Doyle, (For more, see our blog entry: Misneach) and became our motto when we sailed across the Atlantic.

And why a red thread? According to Chinese folklore the invisible red thread of destiny binds soulmates together. Traditionally, men and women bound by a red thread will one day become lovers and marry. Adoptive parents often believe a red thread bound them with their children. The red thread may twist and tangle, but it will never break. I like the idea that the red thread brings together people who believe in the power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles of all kinds, and it represents Tai and Ava.

The Video

If you’re squeamish or disapproving of permanently marking your body, then the video may not be for you. I actually enjoyed myself and as you’ll see I’m very, very happy with the results.