Edward SpoonHands?

Tattoo by Jess at Black Hatchet Tattoos in Wallingford, CT December 2020 (Phase 2 COVID CT)

Bob’s Burgers gives me life! 9 months of a pandemic, a crazy election, some pretty terrible coming out experiences, a mass amount of health issues and the usual daily grief, loss, depression amalgamation of life, add on being a therapist during all of this…what a life… and yet I wouldn’t trade it in for anything because for all the pressure and stress there is almost so much joy and meaning.

Throughout all of this, tattoos, the stories and memories they hold, the wonderful artists I have connected with (and continue to), and the ways in which I now view my body as a result have been the biggest part of my own meaning making.

Hence, Bob’s Burgers regularly gives me life and reminds me that there can be a “fun in dys-fun-ction”. The Belcher children regularly make me laugh, make me smile and remind me of what weird kid I was and how much I respect and appreciate that as an adult. So when I look at things like Louise, making an Edward Scissorhands costume I can remember all the costumes my mother made me and all the ones I tried to make myself and many times used “dangerous or inappropriate” items to make them. Louise’s propensity for conflict and dark humor is something akin to my own adult heart. Let’s not forget that Edward Scissorhands is one of the quintessential weird kid movies. Louise would have been my friend from afar growing up (since she doesn’t let people in).

So as always, Jess was magically fabulous, maintaining her Lydia Deets, Linda Belcher, and Stevie Nicks vibe, making me laugh and always reminding me that I have far more confidence and general badass-ness then I thought! So here is to another butt tattoo, to another Bob’s Burger memory and to the beautiful evolution of my life, my body and the world.