“I have had a connection to Boulder from my teenage years until now. One of my fondest memories will always be of attending the ‘Monsters of Rock’ concerts at Folsom Field in the early 80s. Boulder was the ‘in’ place to spend time in my teens. At that time, I never knew that I would spend the better part of my adult life working and living here. I started working for the US Postal Service after serving in the Army for 8 ½ years and came to Boulder in 1993. I continue to work here and have met many wonderful people who are dear friends to me still. The connections I have made because of Boulder are ones that I will always cherish.
I first heard about the Boulder Tattoo Project on NPR while driving home with some friends from a meeting. I thought, ‘What a strange reason to get a tattoo.’ But after hearing about the idea, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more, so of course I went home and looked up the website to find out more. After learning more about the artwork and the inspiration behind it, I emailed right away to see if I could still be a part of it and was very excited to find out that there was still space.
I’m not a stranger to tattoos. I got my first shortly after joining the Army and now, at age 50, have more than twenty of them, with more planned. The tattoos I have are all inspired by my spirituality and so I tried to get a phrase that would go along and blend in with my current state of mind. The first three I requested were taken quickly and so were the next three. Feeling discouraged, I searched the list of remaining phrases again—and then I found it: ‘your guardian.’
When I think about Boulder, one of the first things that come to mind is ‘tree hugging dirt worshipers.’ Well . . . I am one of them. That is one of the things that has always made me feel a close connection to Boulder. People really seem to care . . . about the environment . . . about the city . . .and about each other. At least this is how I have experienced it. Many Boulderites look for connections . . . to the earth and to each other. That is why it has always felt like a very special place to me. It doesn’t take long to get from the full city experience into nature. Leaving the cement behind is one of my favorite pass-times . . . Boulder is a great place to experience the beauty that Colorado has in store for those who seek it.
I placed my phrase right above my Gaia/Mother Earth tattoo as a reminder that the Earth is our guardian, as we are hers. I am happy to have been a part of this project and to have added an additional connection with Boulder and with all of the people involved in this artwork.”
Teri Moody’s “your guardian”
The Boulder Tattoo Project 