Last week Monday was April 1st or in the US what we commonly call April Fool’s Day. A day filled with trickery, half truths and cloaked in deceit. This year as most I decided not to participate. However, I was surprised by some of the believable posts on Social Media Networks done by my friends and family members.
One of them actually moved me to act and made me want to start or in a sense change the direction of a series of articles I had started last fall called “Enough is ENOUGH – My Testimony of God’s Grace”.
See, one of my teenage nieces posted that she had tattooed her boyfriend’s name on her body. Her defensive responses back to everyone’s outraged comments made all of us think she had done this stupid stunt. Some of which led us to believe that her boyfriend had not even reciprocated her act of devotion by placing her name on his body.
After walking away from the computer, and praying in tongues for a while, I decided to share this new development with my husband (her new uncle.) He proceeded to talk me down from off the prominence of going totally bonkers on her and just at the time when I had come to my senses, I had a flashback. My Ex had tried to talk me into doing the same thing she was saying she had done willingly! He had wanted me to put his name on my body, now mind you I was about 3-4 years older than her, yet still young and naïve.
This tattoo would have been on my upper thigh as to say I was “his property”; if it had ever to been seen by anyone else. I didn’t believe him asking me to do it was cute at the time or even desirable. So, I did call his bluff and asked him where would he put my name on his body? He already had a few tattoos; two that did not make any sense to me when I learned later he was a “Gone Till November” (referencing Wyclef Jean’s song by the same title) guy. The clown had his real first name, and the animated character of his street alias sprawled on his arms. His response to my inquiry was to back pedal. That there was no need for all that; he knew and I knew I was his girl and he my man. In the end, the subject never came up again; it died. Just like our relationship.
Now, if I had decided to have gotten that tattoo. I being married obviously, not to him would have had to explain to my husband why I have another person’s name tattooed on my body. Many times when we are young we make decisions based on our emotions that we believe will remain the same beyond the temporary feelings of pleasure we are experienced in the moment. Yet, no matter our age, our actions always have consequences. If we do not anticipate the cost in the beginning, we may feel grief in the end.
In my case, if I had not taken the split second to think or even ask the question about reciprocation, to this time (unless I had it removed) I would be sporting “What’s his name” brand on my body.
However, going back to my niece, in the end I think it was learned that she hadn’t gotten the tattoo. Yet, for her to bring it up made me think she has been thinking about it. And just for that prompted me to share this story…
If you found this article enjoyable. Feel free to share it or comment below.
© 2013, Lela Jefferson Fagan. All rights reserved.
