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.

MCFIV copyright graphic 2021 - black

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Martin C. Fredricks IV

Martin C. “Red” Fredricks IV here. I’m husband to an amazing woman who is also my best friend, dad to three outstanding kids, Fargoan (North Dakota, that is), proud introvert, veteran messaging strategist/copywriter, blogger (https://ivwords.com) nonprofit founder (https://theclimateknights.org/) and big-time reader. As they say, if you're gonna write good stuff, you have to read good stuff. A ginger, too - ergo the "Red" - although some of it's going white. Cinnamon-Sugar, I call it. Tattooed to boot; seven so far. At age 54, I'm stilling crankin' AC/DC & Metallica, but now and again I spin some Eric Church and Black Uhuru, too. I love hanging out with my (much) better half, spending time with our kids, writing, hiking, riding my mountain bike and reading.

2 Comments

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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 […]

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