Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo

My dragonfly tattoo. Right between my shoulder blades and larger than life, right where it's been since I was nineteen.

These days I buy conservative Banana Republic-esque blouses to hide it. Doesn't exactly go with the dress code at work. But I used to be the Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo. I used to live in a converted church with four other girls and one girl's boyfriend. And a black lab. We threw crazy parties with Beirut tournaments (like beer pong, only with quarters) in the basement, and freaked out when bats flew out of the belfry. Yes, we had a belfry. And we got in trouble for ringing the bell. We got in trouble for a lot of things. Let's just say the police came to the door on many an occasion, but no one was ever arrested or anything.

Some days it seems so long ago. Other days, like last weekend's Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, I feel nineteen again. Of course the next morning, after following the parade route for about a mile, I felt every one of my thirty-one years. Used to be I worried about being hung-over the next day, now I'm in a different sort of pain.

Despite the aches and pains, this year has been good to me. I just hit two hundred followers yesterday. Dreamy McAgent loves my manuscript. My family and friends are healthy and happy.

Best of all, I still feel like that girl with the dragonfly tattoo most days, regardless of the time that's passed since I got it. Regardless of how it's faded.

Maybe it's time I got my wings re-inked.

No comments:

Post a Comment