A very interesting lady who writes"'Cross the Pond "gave me the "Cherry on Top" award. Thank you, I am very flattered. You should visit and follow as she adapts to her new life in England, sometimes serious and sometimes funny, but always interesting.I have to share what I would change about my life if I could. I often wish I had followed my childhood dream and became a marine biologist.Instead my Big Ten years were spent pursuing good times. Studying would have cut into this goal. But then again I would have never met my wife, no wonderful daughters or the Little Rat Pack. Life is full of trade-offs.
Next up there was a spirited debate on two blogs I sometimes visit. Tattoos and the reason for. One point made was that there is no social diversion any longer on who has one. Well in my little slice of the rust belt there still is. I realize that these two gentleman live in metropolitan environments, while I reside in a backwater one. (We were quite dismayed when the news came in last week that apparently the Empire of Japan attacked our Navy base in the Hawaiian Territory.)Then I go to pick up Gabe after school. In the cafeteria full of K-4 children, teachers and parents there is a man with many tattoos covering his upper body. An aside here aren't those things rather costly? Wouldn't the money be better spent on new shoes for his two Mohawk wearing sons? I digress. Since he is wearing a torn wife-beater, that name speaks volumes doesn't it, we were all treated to a very large tattoo of a male demon graphically performing a sex act on a female angel inked on his left shoulder blade. Here is where I wish to join the dissuasion. Mary, Jesus and Joseph who raised you? Have all the tats you want, but know when some need to be concealed. This is here the division exists.Not between the inked and the non-inked,but between those who show a little class and those who act as though raised by wolves( my apologies to the wolves).
Oh,the photo is my son-in-law Joe and the Little Rat Pack embarking on a row "'cross the pond". May the Good Lord watch over them and instill a little common sense.
I call my tattoos "the history of my bad ideas." Thankfully, they can be covered by shirtsleeves and don't show much under polo shirts. I suppose they're totems of a sort, but I've never been the pro-tattoo argument type. I'm so used to mine that it doesn't matter much to me anymore, but I am conscious enough about them to keep them covered when I go out and about. I dislike talking about them to strangers (and people always ask innocently about them) and it's easier to simply keep them hidden.
ReplyDeleteAs for "a little common sense," we should all be so lucky as to be blessed with that. Especially before entering a tattoo parlor.
In my world, there will always be a division between the haves and the have nots. I suppose it's generational.
ReplyDeleteMy Army son has several, and I'm not happy, but it's not a hill to die on.
Nice observation, James. Yes, indeed life has many trade offs. We sometimes do not understand why. But if we try to think deeper there are various reasons for these trade offs.
ReplyDeleteIn Manila, it is not only the men who have these tattoos. Even younger women have this. They say it is some kind of an art. I would call them graffiti. :)
I'm so glad I never went down that road in college - one night, after hitting the bars with friends, we were tempted, but thankfully gave up on the idea. I'm with you - if you want to do that to your body, fine. But know when to cover it up, especially if the images are graphic in nature (geez, guy, you're working around kids for goodness sake!)
ReplyDeleteA male demon graphically performing a sex act on a female angel??!! WHAT WHAT WHAT?? And this man has children?
ReplyDeleteI myself have a small tattoo, it is three words written in Gaelic on my foot. The beauty of it is that it is so easily covered, and not offensive to anyone. It's mine, for me.
(And also I had planned it for nine years, really thought it through, so by the time I got it, I knew I really wanted it. Instead of some random drunken symbol that I would regret down the road)
Common sense, taste, manners are on a roller coaster ride downhill for now. I hope to live long enough to see the day when, when casual work wear, good manners, taste, common decency and sense rebound as they surely must.
ReplyDeleteLife is so full of trade offs. But like you if life had been different as I wish it had from the after graduating from high school, my 4 wonderful children would not be. Just is hard to speak of regrets when it would obviously effect their being on this earth. Aside from that, my regrets over-floweth.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend whose beautiful daughter decided to transform her body into a walking tattoo billboard. She is a tender 20 & a mother to a 1 year old. She writes on FB of her next tattoo, & the next, but then puts out requests for a ride to take her son to his Dr,'s apt.as she can't afford the bus. Her father was an NFL Raider & her mom an equally tremendous woman. Somehow common sense skipped a generation. I'm afraid that in the case of the two mowhawked young-men it will not. I think they are destined for many tats!!
Your brat-pack fishing with their father, priceless. Have a great weekend James x
I like them best when they are covering a dreadful looking young man *ahem* wearing a wife-beater, a baseball cap on sideways, walking down the street, smoking a ciggie while pulling a wagon containing two small children who look slightly worse for wear. Paints a pretty picture eh! My town is host to more and a few of this type....unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteJames, thanks for the shout out! I agree with you - as usual. People are free to do what they want with their bodies - but do the rest of us have to look at it? Hopefully I will instill good sense in my two little ones but you can only do your best and pray they turn out okay. Love the photo - looks very Norman Rockwell! - Erin
ReplyDeleteJames, good post. I was so happy when my youngest daughter (19) said, "Putting a tattoo on this body is like putting a bumper sticker on a Bentley." Dave
ReplyDeleteI hope that someone has the sense to conduct a study in, say, 50 years to interview all of the young adults today that think nothing of getting tatoos. I want to see them in their 80's all wrinkled and sagging and looking like a wet comic strip. Or see how many of them paid to have them removed once they grew up a little.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first visit to your blog, and I love it immediately! Consider yourself followed. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are so right - life is full of trade offs. So love the photograph of the boys in the boat... Hmmm yes, tattoos - not a fan and certainly feel he should have kept them covered especially at the school. x
ReplyDeleteHah. James, I'm still smiling over the Japan attacked Pearl Harbour remark. Ain't it the truth? Why DO they think the rest of us are idiots or red necks? Hopefully there will be a wake up call in the next two elections.
ReplyDeleteI'm too old I (and so are my kids, thank you Lord) to have gone through the tat stage. So far, my grandchildren have NOT had one. A caveat: that I can see.
Good point, some tattoos are really nice and also easily covered. being old & wrinkly with a tat that moved several inches south put me off! I do wonder if people get addicted & then just get anything inked. Names tattooed on seem odd to me - especially of a partner, isn't loving someone enough?
ReplyDeleteHi James,
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm a bit late for this post !! It gets harder and harder to get round to everyone these days.....I blame it on my age !!
Well, I was always one to follow fashion and all that goes with it but never resorted to the dreaded tattoos, thank goodness! I always think that people with tattoos look as if they could do with a good wash!! ..... and, girls look dreadful when they are wearing a beautiful dress and there, on their arm or back is the awful tattoo, spoiling the look.
Our children never resorted to them either, thank goodness....our son who is in the music business, works for the BBC and was in a band when he was a teenager, did resort to a tiny piercing when he was at University but, it fell out after a couple of weeks and that was it !!!!I don't always judge people when they have tattoos, as there are some lovely, kind, quiet and unassuming people out there with them but, the likes of the man you are talking about are another story !!
Gorgeous photo of the rat pack and dad having fun.
Have a great week James.....perhaps I shall sport my tophat at some stage (in private, I think !!) XXXX
I love this. Very well observed. Although, this is very sad for his kids, of course. I hope you and your family are all well.
ReplyDeleteMMxx
A photo that's a precious moment. A cherry-on-top blog! :)
ReplyDeleteGOD bless!!!
School was always overlooked by me to pursue fun times, but I would never get a tattoo. Love the photo
ReplyDeletexoxo
SC
My son has a tattoo...when I first saw it I told him, in front of his friends, that he was a stupid, stupid, stupid boy!!! It was his best man's gift to him three days before his wedding.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't worry me know 10 years later.
We live in a town of 5000 people and recently 2 yes 2 tattoo parlours opened up. Not classy joints at all!!!!
Congratulation on the award, well deserved. You may not have been blogging either if you had become a marine biologist and that would have been a great pity!