Sink the Ink
 
Let's talk about tattoos: I like 'em. They're an outstanding way to express yourself. Unless of course you just walk into a shop somewhere, look at some pages on the wall, pick out the grooviest yin-yang, and stick it your shoulder. Please, please don't do that. That's not what tattoos are about. I firmly believe that if you are going to have something permanently placed on your body, you should put some thought into it. And preferably not directly after a twelve-pack and half a Thai stick. It should mean something to you. Something deeper. This does not include the lightning bolt skull with dancing bears because you like "Skeletons in the Closet." It should have a special meaning -- a symbol that is pertinent to your life somehow. My wife recently got a tattoo of our first child. Not only that, but it is a rendering that my best friend had commissioned for us as a Christmas gift, so its meaning is two-fold. It's a reminder of her love for her child and for a close family friend. Not to mention it's really cute. It's like this little cartoon boy flying in the air... never mind.

You've got to think about that it's a cathartic experience. The idea is that anything worth having is worth going through a little pain and that pain itself is fleeting. My sister marks the ending of different phases in her life with tattoos. I really like the idea of this. When she feels that a particularly meaningful or stressful time in her life has passed, she gets some new ink -- a physical manifestation of her emotional pain. And after that, it's over; but she's left with a mark that won't let her forget what she's learned. This is the deeper meaning I speak of. Something that, when you see it, makes you feel something or remember something that can't be summed up with a few trifle words. Pain, love, respect... words like these should only scratch the surface.

I also believe it should be unique. One of a kind. Something that you make your own. Not some flash you scrape off a sheet in a book. How many barbed wire tribal armbands have you seen walking around? Thank God I bought that bag of chronic instead of falling into that pit before it became popular. To repeat the reference of my sister: we share a tattoo. This sounds contradictory to my point, but it's not. We're both Scorpios, so my sister had a guy draw us a scorpion piece. We both have it on the back of our right shoulder. Same size. Same color. But we're the only ones who have it. After he did our tats the original was destroyed. This is a symbol of our togetherness as siblings.

This is something I feel very deeply about. Please don't waste your money on a damn peace sign or some shit. I'm all for peace, but come on. I like tattoos a lot, and I put a lot of thought into the ones I get. So much so, that I only have two of them.

My other one?

The Superman "S" symbol, baby. Superman rules!!

~~~~~

Tadd Branum is a burly, surly fellow who does a lot of deep thinking.