OK I am 64 years old and for the most part of that life I have frowned upon tattoos. I told my children only criminals and sailors got them and the must never defile their god given canvas. About three years ago my oldest daughter, who happens to be a police officer, accidentally exposed a small tattoo on her ankle inadvertently while visiting. I smiled and said oh what have we here? She braced herself for my less than praiseful comments she thought forth coming. Naturally she is an adult and can do as she sees fit. It was a small tattoo of a pyramid (Boring). I said nice and the conversation moved on.
Imagine her surprise when I returned this past week from a spearfishing trip in Southern Philippines where I decided to get a tattoo for myself. It took nine hours to render and was painful. I understand that on the arm is one of the least painful spots but none the less it was nothing short of an endurance marathon of trying not to cry. Later that evening at dinner a lady from Norway asked why did I decide to get it now. She commented that most people got them at age eighteen and then regretted it the rest of their lives. I responded I don't know and that since I was much older I didn't have that long to regret it.
Truly I did not go there with the remotest notion of getting a tattoo. While I was there I passed a shop and went in out of some sort of Peruvian interest
. I then went to a couple of other shops and finally ended up on line researching the art form. Certainly the acceptance to tattoos with the media exposure of numerous sudo-reality shows has given broader appeal and less disdain to the general public. However I decided I wanted one because it was out of character for me, sort of a mile marker on my lives trail that states he has taken a road he has less traveled. Oh YA and because It would be badass and look cool.
I called my wife and said honey what do you think of the idea of me getting a tattoo, She paused and said "I don't like" but it's up to you. I said great and hung up the phone.
