Help! A Martian Has Taken Over My Body!

Today, The Invisible Man and I had a brief exchange on matters such as collectibles, my new default picture, and permanently altering one's body. All trifles, but it felt like blog material, nonetheless.

I definitely hold Marvin the Martian above all other cartoon characters. This has been the case for the better part of twenty years. However, putting his handsome face on my profile, as well as the accompanying caption was mostly a symbolic move on my part. One of my readers (and quite possibly a second who happens to catch such cryptic things) will understand said symbolism.

Literally, it's quite true. I do still love my Marvin.

Now, I share with you some of my conversation with The Invisible Man along with some extra Marvin goodness.

When I first moved out of my mother's house at 18, I began collecting him. Christmas ornaments, ink pens, cookie jars, desk lamps, etc.

Then I decided it would be very cool to get a Marvin tattoo. I was working in a factory and was quite the oddball for not having a tattoo. Peer pressure. Ever erring on the side of caution, I decided to wait a year(ish) before getting him permanently attached to my body, just to make sure.

A year(ish) later, I was sure.

Now I'm not.

I pretty much hate the fact that there is a cartoon character on my body. It's embarrassing. It's on my lower back, a couple inches shy of having "tramp stamp" positioning. Also, I'm not sure that cartoon characters qualify for "tramp stamp" status.

It's funny what I've learned to live with and love about myself.

I used to be quite a bit heavier than I am now. I have stretch marks here and there. No matter how hard I work (and I do work hard), I have belly flab. The thighs, the butt, the boobs that have seen better days. I'm relatively comfortable in my skin as it were.

But I am so sensitive about the tattoo.

No matter how hot it is, I almost always have an extra "layering piece" beneath whatever shirt I'm wearing so I can have a shirt that's tucked in and, thus, conceals the tattoo when I bend over.

I hate getting in and out of cars as this is where my layering piece almost always comes untucked and I don't want him to show. Strange.

I'm always questioning if I'll have him removed someday if I can afford it or whether I should just accept his presence (like I have the stretch marks) on my body.

It's a good question.