I got my first tattoo right after graduating from college when I was 23. I was living in the Bay Area and rode the BART over to Oakland to visit Tattoo 13. Chummy tattooed my upper arm with an scene of St. Michael. Not long after it healed I was visiting home and having a drink on the back porch with my mom. I told her that I really needed to talk to her about something, and rolled up my sleeve. She starting yelling and slapped me, while I was laughing at her reaction. After about a 5 minute rant she asked to see it again, and commented that it was really pretty. My Dad just told me to keep them where they could be covered in a suit. Every time I visit LA these days I end up getting tattooed. My parents have slowly become more accepting of them. They used to say "that's the last one right?" after each tattoo, but even that has stopped. In fact my Dad just texted me about getting his first tattoo at age 60. I honestly thought he was messing with me, but he was dead serious. I guess my point is that parents attitudes can change over time. Mine go so far as to show off my tattoos to friends when I'm on vacation.
Gypsy girl by Adam Warmerdam @ Dark Horse Tattoo