Great stories, guys. Have thought about getting the tattooed wedding band, but satisfied myself the turtles are roughly the same thing.
One that hit home hardest for me -- the father who has a portrait of his son, who at 29 left the world too soon.
ssjones, I've thought about having my family crest as a tattoo. I love our family name and its history. I can only trace it back six generations with confidence, though. There's that, and... that fact that I'm adopted... holding me back.
As for the Nike swoosh, I interviewed a guy who'd only been employed by this oil-drilling tools manufacturer for less than a year when he had one of their products tattooed on his arm. My first thought was, "Whoa! It's not usual in these times for someone to be with a company their whole career. He's gonna regret that when he gets canned, or sees a better job open up with their competition!" Five years, he's still with them -- and now he's a nationally recognized expert on their rock drilling tools. Gives trainings, does presentations at trade shows, and is an on-site consultant in technique and products. Got another product tattooed on his other arm since then. His job has now out-lasted three of his marriages! (The tattoos will last forever, though).
I see kids who get them sort of carelessly (two of my kids, in particular). I wince because I know they haven't weighed the permanence of what they've done, in spite of techniques to try to get rid of them later, or change them. And then they go crazy talking about what they want next... and after that... and... it becomes a "thing."
Mine I am proud of, though until I got them, I was totally against getting tattoos. The body is beautiful and amazing as it is -- don't put graffiti on it! ... I've changed my mind, obviously, as I got older. I still wince, though, when the tattoos are capricious and without meaning.
-- It's why I was interested. And you guys have interesting stories!
One that hit home hardest for me -- the father who has a portrait of his son, who at 29 left the world too soon.
ssjones, I've thought about having my family crest as a tattoo. I love our family name and its history. I can only trace it back six generations with confidence, though. There's that, and... that fact that I'm adopted... holding me back.
As for the Nike swoosh, I interviewed a guy who'd only been employed by this oil-drilling tools manufacturer for less than a year when he had one of their products tattooed on his arm. My first thought was, "Whoa! It's not usual in these times for someone to be with a company their whole career. He's gonna regret that when he gets canned, or sees a better job open up with their competition!" Five years, he's still with them -- and now he's a nationally recognized expert on their rock drilling tools. Gives trainings, does presentations at trade shows, and is an on-site consultant in technique and products. Got another product tattooed on his other arm since then. His job has now out-lasted three of his marriages! (The tattoos will last forever, though).
I see kids who get them sort of carelessly (two of my kids, in particular). I wince because I know they haven't weighed the permanence of what they've done, in spite of techniques to try to get rid of them later, or change them. And then they go crazy talking about what they want next... and after that... and... it becomes a "thing."
Mine I am proud of, though until I got them, I was totally against getting tattoos. The body is beautiful and amazing as it is -- don't put graffiti on it! ... I've changed my mind, obviously, as I got older. I still wince, though, when the tattoos are capricious and without meaning.
-- It's why I was interested. And you guys have interesting stories!