I had cabin fever today. One would think that I would go for a walk downtown since it's 50 degrees out. Or maybe hit up a local craft fair. I went to the mall. Now I know what you will say...'Are you freakin' crazy? Going to the mall 2 days after Christmas?' Here's the thing, parking downtown sucks and frankly, I really don't like crafts, so yes, I went to the mall. I didn't really have anything I needed to do so I figured I could just walk and people watch. I wanted to pick up a new shirt for the husband, some bath crap and some hot cocoa from Starbucks.
I get the new shirt, done. Now I really can just meander because the other shit I could possibly do without. I pass Starbucks. Short line, cocoa is on sale, score(!) and done. I am coming around the corner to do my last length of the mall before heading to Trader Joe's and something is off. I hear this familiar buzzing sound but of course I am really not paying attention, just walking. Then I see this new window, bright colors and a sign on the door, something about "pleasurable pain"....WHAT? I do a double take and there it is folks, we knew this day would come but I was hoping to be in my 80's so I could say to my grandchildren, "I got my tattoos by a hippie pothead in a seedy shop in the Haight/Ashbury neighborhood in San Fran, not a mall!" Yep. My mall has a tattoo parlor. This may not be news to some but I really don't like going to the mall so it's been awhile.
And here's my real problem. I have been wanting another tattoo for awhile. I've done the research and I am pretty sure I know what I want and where...but the fact that my neighborhood mall has a clean, pretty tattoo shop with teeny boppers for artists sort of makes it a little, well "uncool". Now I realize the whole subculture idea of tattoos and body piercings and all of that is to prove that we don't care what's "cool" or not, we just want to "express ourselves". Which of course is bullshit. I have 3 tattoos and I think I am pretty badass. But that is besides the point. The last thing I want to hear when I finally do get my next tattoo is "OMG! Did you get that at the mall?"