Beachgoer ponders display of his naked angel tattoo
DEAR ABBY: I’m in my early 30s. I live and work in a beach town and visit the ocean often on my time off. I have a large tattoo on my side, and while it’s tasteful and well done, it depicts nudity (an angel). It’s always covered by a shirt and never exposed at work.
While I know we’re living in a progressive era of expression, including body art, I wonder if it’s appropriate to go shirtless and display edgier graphic images like mine. Or could it be considered offensive to some folks who are not as open-minded?
I see plenty of other people display all kinds of ink at the beach, even with kids around. I have only had positive feedback about mine. The beachgoers I’ve met seem to be openminded. To cover up or let it show – what are your thoughts? – TATTED IN FLORIDA
DEAR TATTED: If you want to get a tan, then go for it, but use sunscreen. However, not all beachgoers will be thrilled seeing a large naked angel getting roasted on the sand, so if you receive stares or critical comments, you may be more comfortable covering up.
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DEAR ABBY: I am married to the kindest and most wonderful man in the world. We are happy and enjoy each other’s company.
He is impotent and was taking medication to correct it while we were dating and at the beginning of our marriage. The medication gave him terrible headaches, so we agreed to just let the sexual aspect of our marriage go by the wayside. That was 10 years ago. I was OK with it until I started dreaming about having sex with random men. Yikes!
I love my husband and would never cheat on him. I’m at a loss. Please help. – JUST A DREAM
DEAR JUST A DREAM: Being able to talk about these dreams may help them be less troubling and probably less frequent. If discussing them with your husband might upset or threaten him – you know him better than I do – then talk with a trusted friend or relative or a licensed mental health professional so you can vent. Of one thing I am sure: The harder one tries to suppress dreams, the more often they occur.