A Widow's Ride

So I finally got my new tattoo last week, thanks to Aly Mayne (http://instagram.com/alymayne).  Now, my friends are teasing me because they think that I’m being a typical biker who has to have a tattoo.  Thinking that I need to keep up with the stereotypical image of a biker but in reality it is far from the truth.

I actually got my first tattoo more than five years ago before I started riding a motorcycle.  It’s a tramp stamp with three hearts with my children’s name above them to represent my love for them.  So when my husband passed away, I knew right away that I wanted to get another one to honor his memory.  A lot of people warned me not to get one in case I find someone new in life and it would not be fair to the new person to be constantly reminded that I once had someone else to love in my life. I’m sorry but just because he died don’t mean that I cannot continue to grieve or to honor what we had. I cannot act like that he never existed; seems wrong to me.  Also, if or when I do meet someone else then they should be able to respect my past and if they can’t then they are not meant to be in my life.

Anyway, I still took their words to heart and decided to get a tattoo that represent our life together with a special meaning instead of the usual memorial tattoo with crosses, a date stamp or anything involved the phrase “In Memory Of.”  So I decided to get a tattoo with a sunflower which was our wedding flower, a purple daisy and a lizard which represent our nickname in the motorcycle circle.  In addition, I put a white cancer ribbon in the art work to represent his battle with lung cancer.

So why did my friend think that biker and tattoo goes hand in hand? This stereotype date back to the first recorded biker tattoo in the 40’s which was to indicate their affiliation to a particular motorcycle gang.  Themes in biker tattoos usually include power and speed.  Such as eagles and flags, skulls with flames spouting from the eyes, blazing tires, pin-up girls, roses and daggers.

However, the cultural status of tattooing has steadily evolved from that of an anti-social activity in the 40’s to that of a trendy fashion statement today. Now they’re being worn now by rock starts, professional sports figures, fashion models, and movie stars.  It is the sixth fastest growing retail business in the United States.  Tattoo artists are now being regulated and licensed by the state Health and Safety department similar to hair dressers.  The single fastest growing demographic group seeking tattoo services is the middle-class suburban women.