Jim Buchanan

Hello and welcome!

Hi,
I'm Jim Buchanan. I've loved tattoos since I was a child, but never got one -until this year at age 53. Now I'm planning a second one at the beginning of December, and have some plans for others after that. Better late than never!

I'm new to this forum, and pretty new to having tattoos (just 1 so far until a month from now when I get a second, already planned it with my artist). I'm 53 years and a lot of people, especially my birth family, which very much do not do tattoos, were really, really surprised. Nothing negative though. (More than 1/2 of my 7 kids (all adopted as teenagers) had tattoos before mom & dad got ours in May, the kids really love that we did this!)
I got/will get mine because I love attention, as well as having wanted tattoos since I was a kid. I definitely want it/them to show when wearing short sleeves. I love it when people ask me what it means, or comment on it. I get at least one comment or question a week, 2 today while eating lunch at a restaurant I frequent. I have trouble not staring at other people's tattoos and asking them questions, and have always had this trouble, I've always been fascinated. I am always worried that I'm being rude, but I don't want to be, I try not to too much.
Anyway, I just wanted to add my rambling 2 cents...

Hi,
I'm Jim Buchanan. I've loved tattoos since I was a child, but never got one -until this year at age 53. Now I'm planning a second one at the beginning of December, and have some plans for others after that. Better late than never!

I think, while there are of course many people who dislike tattoos, for the most part--people don't care what you do with your own skin. As you shouldn't and probably don't care what they do with theirs!

If you have read this thread, you know that I am very hesitant to display my ink in public for fear of reactions of others. This thread made me more willing to give it a try, so I thought I’d give you an update.
A couple of weeks ago I decided to test the waters at the local farm market. Normally in that situation I wear a long or 3/4 length sleeve and push it up just above my elbow. Since my half sleeve tattoos stop slightly above my elbows, nothing shows. But that day I picked out a longish short sleeve tee so about 1/3 of my tattoos showed. Not just peaking out, but about 3” of tattoo showing very clearly. As I was leaving the house I almost grabbed a sweater in case I chickened out, but then I thought “No, I'm going to do this without a safety net."
I got to the market and it was pretty crowded. I was a little nervous. I started shopping, talking to vendors, checking out produce and flowers, and started to fall into my usual routine.
Since I had tattoos on my mind, I noticed a few other ladies with tattoos, so I felt a little more at ease with my “sisters.” I got more comfortable and at one point I thought a lady next to me at stand was checking me out so I politely said “excuse me” and reached in front of her to pick up an item so my arm was right in front of her to see if she reacted. No reaction! Since she was a perfect stranger, I sort of secretly hoped she was shocked! That is a weird aspect of my reluctance to show pattern - I sort of like to shock strangers, but fear shocking people I know!
As I paid one of the vendors for a purchase — a woman I often buy from, and who has a tattoo herself — she said, “I never noticed your tattoos before. Very pretty!” I thanked her and said that I usually don’t let them show. She said “Oh, just let ‘em show!”. That was a good feeling.
All in all the whole situation went without incident. I really felt good, felt very free and alive, as if I was letting myself be me. A great first step for me.
The big test would be being somewhere where I see people I know. That could have happened at the farm market — I sometimes see friends and colleagues there. I saw a few “familiar” people who I know enough to say “Hi” to, but I don’t know their names, but no one whose judgement I fear. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel when I see one of my co-workers or bosses.

it gets interesting when you go forearm which i did this summer onto both forearms - i wear short sleeves at work (school counselor at a primary school) and as i predicted the kids love them and the adults have a multitude of comments and questions which have mostly died down
its funny as my overall coverage increases i get more comments and let me tell you it is quite a revealing experience in terms of the social skills defecits that many adults around me have
i myself feel that i have quite good tact when speaking with others - understanding what topics or commentary are in good form or poor taste, etc - but those around me - wow
"how much did that cost, how can you afford that?"
"why would you do that to yourself?"
"what do you think you'll look like when you're 80?"
and of course "what does it mean, it must mean something?"
but i have no regrets going below the elbow and i intend to add more :)
its funny though - i'm telling my wife how so many times in conversations that peoples eyes dart around to my tattooed areas and how that feels weird - she said - "now you know what it's like to have cleavage"