Plymouth Magazine-Winter24-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 16
What’s your Tattoo Story?
By Karen Downing (she/her)
“Wear your heart on your skin in this life.”
— Sylvia Plath
Tattoos can mark personal and spiritual
journeys by signposting important life
events and symbols. Inking images on
skin dates back thousands of years.
Ancient Egyptians used tattoos to
symbolize religious devotion and
protection. Polynesian cultures regarded
tattoos as sacred, embodying spiritual
beliefs and social status. Indigenous
tribes around the world used tattoos for
rites of passage and spiritual significance.
Plymouth members were invited to share
their tattoo stories, another way to “know
and be known.” These tattoos are portraits
of self-expression and personal meaning
making tangible what one holds sacred.
Neil Salowitz
Mary Gipson
Tattoo: A bull trout
Tattoo: “God is Still Speaking” symbol
When did you get this tattoo?
I’ve had it for 15 years. I saw the photo in a
magazine, and it haunted me until I had it
reproduced on my left arm.
When did you get this tattoo?
When I turned 55 I wanted a tattoo.
I just was not sure what I wanted.
What is the significance of this tattoo?
The background is that I’ve been fly fishing
for many years, mostly in Colorado. It is said
that trout live in beautiful places, and it’s
true. The places I fish feel like cathedrals in
their hushed majesty, and catch-and-release
fly fishing is a way of communing with
something bigger than myself. It’s like going
to church. I often pray when I’m fishing—not
to catch another fish, but prayers of gratitude
that such places exist where God’s presence
can be deeply felt.
16
What is the significance of this tattoo?
I became a member of Plymouth in 2009.
I have loved being a member and love my
church. I knew I wanted something that
was a part of me, something that when I
looked at it, I would love that I had made
this choice. My friend Tim Robinson said,
well you love Plymouth, what about the
Plymouth logo? It was like a light bulb
perfect idea! That summer on a trip to
California, I took the church bulletin with
me and showed it to my cousin who is a
tattoo artist. I look at my tattoo, and it
makes me smile. I love my church and will
wear this so proudly forever!
