My Tattoo

I get asked enough, I figured I better tell the story (actually I did elsewhere, so I’m being lazy and just copying and pasting the details here).

 

Well, I got a tattoo the other day (Friday, July 11, 2008).  As I’m sure anyone will tell you, it is a personal experience and so I thought I’d share mine, for those people that just have to know why, at 36, I did it.

Larger Image – https://www.wallbridge.com/images/startattooforearm.jpg

Where Was It Done?

I had my tattoo done at Fleshworks in Victoria.  http://www.fleshworks.ca.  I chose them because of their insistence on a clean and safe operation (and it was apparent as soon as I arrived, shoes off, they were wiping everything I touched :).  As well, we ‘tattoo virgins’ didn’t feel judged when we entered, the folks were very friendly (I know, an oxy moron comment I’m sure, from their opinion, but it did matter to us … by the way, Wendy got her nose pierced with a pretty/elegant and small nose stud, because she got tired waiting for me – though she has wanted one for a long time).

Who Did It?

The dude at the parlour.  I would have sworn he said his name was Justin, but I see via their website (no pictures of either) that it must have been either Jessy or James (yes, I realize that is funny) – either way, I had a good chat with him, wish I could remember his name.

What Was the Experience Like?

Well, we walked in and had a good chat with them.  Walk-ins aren’t that common as you typically work with the artist but I was able to provide my own artwork (it was a star for crying out loud, PowerPoint was all I needed ;).  They had the time to proceed, so I took off my shoes, paused for a second to make sure I wanted to do it still and then, I sat in the chair.  Prep took a little while and we worked for a minute on placement.  Then it was time to start.  Certainly, the most painful part was the outline, as it is a single needle and felt kind of like your skin was fbeing sliced with a surgical knife. The difference was, it didn’t hurt after – it was just for the actual time it touched the skin. It wasn’t too bad at all.  It took a little over an hour but I think it was partly because we were chatting away with each other, sharing several stories and opinions.  Pretty much like getting a haircut except this dude’s haircut is permanent. 🙂  The ‘filling’ in took the longest, but as it was something like 6 needles together, it was more of a scratching like sensation, only getting sensitive the closer it got to the inside of my elbow (skin was softer there I guess).  It really wasn’t a big deal.

When it was done, a black bandage was put on it, much like that that a steak sits in, at the supermarket – I guess my arm was pretty much a steak for the first few hours :). We then went to see a movie (Wanted, with Angelina Jolie – it was good).  Got home, took the bandage off, showed the mother in law, washed it and went to bed.  I’m writing this now two days later and it just feels like they said, like a sunburn.  At this point, its starting to dry and peel a bit and so I’m putting a very liberal amount of lotion on it and its supposed to be all done/healed in another 8 days or so.

Why Did I Do It?

Hmm, long question, lots of answers so I’ll bullet them.

  • I felt like it
  • I’ve been considering it for 13 years (first thoughts were when Wendy and I were married in Vegas, we actually went looking for tattoo parlours to get a ‘tiny elvis’ done on my ankle, so he’d stick out of my sock – gotta say, I’m glad I never got that one done though I have ZERO regrets about this one, and finally having it).
  • I’ve had a rough go lately personally with the death of a very dear friend, the breakup of a band that stopped being fun (and music was a big reason why I came back to Canada) and a whole bunch of other stuff – for the most part though, this was also a reminder to have fun and not to take life so seriously.  I did it for me and for a personal reminder to myself of what I feel is important – see what it means to me, below.

What Does It Mean To Me (a Star)?

Another good question, so I’ll bullet it as well.

Where Did The Idea Originate From?

Well, again, it’s been floating around in my head for a long time (13 years, maybe longer).  In the end, it started with wanting one.  Then about 8 years ago, a friend at the time got a tattoo on his left forearm and I always liked where it was positioned – it looked kind of like a sun (though not exactly like this, I suppose this is close enough for reference – http://www.pinoytattoos.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/philippine-sun-tattoo02.jpg). Then last year, while at West Edmonton Mall, a guy there had pretty much exactly what I have (a large star, left forearm).  He was operating the trampoline/harness ride there (how’s THAT for detail). I instantly felt that was what I wanted.  But, besides peaking my head in a few tattoo parlours while in Edmonton, that was the end of that and it took a whole year to finally get around to it (or get motivated, as I said, by recent events).

 

More recently, Wendy and I decided we were going to get tattoo’s (or I was and she *might*).  We discussed doing it as a 13th wedding anniversary thing but waited until it had passed as that was also my Mom’s birthday (see again Mom, I’m looking out for you – could you IMAGINE if I presented it to you on your birthday?  I’d NEVER hear the end of that – christ, she still calls me in the middle of the night on MY birthday to remind me that X years ago she remembers the pain of birth ;).

 

So, Wedding Anniversary passed (and Mom’s birthday, whew, made it!) and we had a date night – dinner and a movie and during the day, a personal decision about proceeding. I made a few phone calls, checked out parlours online, fired up PowerPoint (by the way, the blue outline was a zero hour decision, just before leaving to go to Fleshworks…), printed it and jumped in the car.

And that’s it.

 

Comments/Reactions So Far:

On telling a few friends I had gotten one, but it was still covered (the unveil hadn’t occurred):

  • Is it the itgroove logo? (never crossed my mind, though it would be good branding 🙂
  • Every drummer should have one (see? 🙂
  • What took you so long? (see? 🙂
  • You’re finally a rock star (see? 🙂

Those who have seen it:

Finally, One Final Note…

So, I thought this was funny.

  • I said to the Tattoo artist “This is my one and only tattoo. I’m a simple guy and I want a simple tattoo”.
  • He replied “Ya, that’s what they all say”.  Later he mentioned he was one of only a few “licensed drug dealers in Victoria” – by which he meant, people get addicted to tattoo’s. I laughed it off, never giving it another thought.
  • Then a while later I asked him what his first tattoo was.  He pointed to his left elbow.  It was a big, plain star.  Uh-Oh!!

 

PS…

This wasn’t my mid-life crisis.  I’m not wasting a perfectly good mid-life crisis on just a tattoo.  That’s when I’m going to get a kick ass SUV or something. Maybe a Hybrid Land/Range Rover…