You Be You. For Me, Ink.

Suck it, anti-tattoo people.

Picture of a framed clipping at Addictions Tattoo in Fargo, N.D. — Picture in Addictions Tattoo, Fargo, N.D.

Recently a college professor publicly shamed my daughter for her tattoos. First off, fuck that instructor and all the other anti-ink people out there. Secondly, no teacher has a right to publicly shame a student for anything, regardless of their personal feelings or beliefs.

Besides, my daughter has three great tattoos, and she’s proud of them. As she should be. My wife has three. I have five. I love mine, and I can’t wait to get more. A lot more.
And my only regret is that I didn’t start getting them earlier in life.

The pic (above) from the bathroom at Addictions Tattoo in Fargo, N.D. says it all. (Ask for Nate.) Plus, you be you, man. I’ll be me. Always.

MCFIV as pirate with Barbarossa tattoo — Barbarossa (Italian for “Redbeard”) was a Mediterranean pirate.
I have no idea what he looked like, but this one’s mine.

Image of tattoos on left arm — My first tattoo (top) – my personal logo – and a Gaelic pattern below. Check out the awesome real estate
open up there… I already have some ideas for it.

Behind the arm pic of gaelic pattern tattoo — Buckle on the backside

Picture of Martin C. Fredricks IV's new scorpion tattoo. — My most recent tattoo, a scorpion that connects with a story from my youth. (More on that another time.)

Then there’s one tattoo that’s just for my wife. Some things are still private.

So, yeah, don’t knock it ’till you try it, keep your puritanical notions of propriety off my body and don’t ever try to publicly shame me or a member of my family for our tattoos. While you’re fretting, we’ll just laugh at you, standing there all judgmental, panties twisted in a bunch and plain skin, just like every other old bastard.

IV Words comes to you thanks to my own resources, donations and sponsorships.
Please consider helping out. Click here to become a reader-supporter
or here to become a blog sponsor. Thank you!

2 Comments

IV Words Theme Song - IV Words - The Progressive Perspective · June 19, 2022 at 1:53 pm

[…] First, my birth date is September 19, which just happens to be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. How could I not claim that? And write about it. Repeatedly. […]

The Apology, 34 Years Past - IV Words - The Progressive Perspe · February 22, 2021 at 6:14 pm

[…] passed. Then, a few weeks ago, my 19-year-old freshman daughter told me one of her professors and publicly shamed her, in front of her classmates, for her tattoos. Bam! I was back in Sudro Hall 34 years ago, leaning slightly back, hands forward, palms […]