Oh, mama.

So.... sometimes, a mama thinks to herself, you know what would be fun?

Something new would be fun.

Something a little different.

Something permanent, on her arm.
Something, possibly, like a Salvador Dali painting of Saint Lucia. Rendered in tattoo ink. Fun for the whole religion department! (Yep, that's my skeptical husband and my amused colleague, who kindly accompanied me, provided commentary, and filmed the whole thing.) (Which, might I just add? Hurt so much that most of the commentary involves comparing this experience to childbirth.)

While my parents are probably cringing and picking up the phone to call and ask me about Hepatitis B-slash-C, and bemoaning my general lack of sound judgement, I have to say, in my defense: my kids? Are pretty excited. As are my students, interestingly enough... after one of them raised his hand politely and said, "Dr. Wilder, I know this is off-topic, but what's with your arm?" and I showed them, the general consensus was that I look tough. Given that I am a mid-thirties mama with a non-threatening smile, this has to be good for me, right?

I'm currently working on a project with students involving religious expression and tattoos, and I've been thinking about this for a while. I like the saints, I'm drawn to Lucia; this particular rendering of her doesn't pull any punches. She's a martyr, which means that the traditional folk images of her, blonde and pretty with a crown of candles, serve to obscure the part where she was murdered and had her eyes put out. This image gives you a full sense of her martyrdom: the candles are represented, rather than fully drawn, and she is both present and not present.

On my arm, she is fully present. Honestly, I love how it turned out (less pink now than in the image above.) I think it's gorgeous. And it's fully hidden under short sleeves; I don't think I'll be socially unacceptable in most circles.

It's important to do something new every now and then. I think I'm good 'till mid-2010.