MOOSE JAW, SK – After shoehorning it into a discussion with the downstairs neighbour, Claire Dolby has now told everyone she knows the origin and meaning of her wrist tattoo, in spite of interest levels ranging from none to almost none.
“It’s very personal to me,” Dolby usually begins – a seemingly unnecessary statement to make about a design rendered in particles of ink forcibly deposited under her skin. “It’s a triangle with the word ‘breathe’ in it,” she usually continues, unnecessarily describing the design, which is obviously a triangle with the word ‘breathe’ in it in a flowing script.
“I got it at a time in my life when everything was crazy,” Dolby continues when prompted, but also when not. “I just needed something to remind me to breathe,” she adds, referencing an activity performed autonomically by every living animal for every moment of its existence.
Dolby’s neighbour was unimpressed by the tattoo, saying, “It’s ok, I guess,” when asked what he thought of the design. Dolby’s best friend Jenna, who was the first to be subjected to a lengthy description of the tattoo, had a similar reaction. “I guess it’s ok, “ she says, although she later admitted she can’t really remember what the tattoo looks like.
This is a common reaction according to UBC sociologist Ted Baker. “No one wants to hear about the design you picked as an outward representation of, say, your inner strength, “ he says, lifting his shirt to reveal a small Japanese kanji character tattooed on the back of his left shoulder. “That’s why I got this. It means “inner strength”,” he adds, though he admits to doing no research other than picking the symbol out of a binder at a tattoo shop in the 90s.
Now that Dolby has exhausted the conversational possibilities of her tattoo she is making plans to tell everyone she knows about other tattoos she’s planning to maybe get. “Maybe a butterfly on my neck,” she says, unasked, “or my grandmother’s birthday on the inside of my ring finger, or a dog with feathers, which is something from this dream I had one time.”
Dolby has even taken to social media for inspiration, posting “Hey hive mind, what ink should I get next?” As of press time there were no replies.
