I'm going to tattoo my one of my best friends next month. Jacob has been wanting some ink for quite some time, and I'm going to NC to visit for his birthday, so I'm going to take my stuff with me.
I'm really looking forward to it, because it's such a great opportunity to spend time together. So often, we run around doing things when we hang out with our friends, because we live in such a fast paced world. Or we go to a movie where we can't even talk.
I like doing those things, but I like relationship. I like getting to know people on a deeper level. I know that when I tattoo Jacob I'll be doing something, but we'll have a good amount of time to sit and talk. That's one of the reasons that I love tattooing.
When you apply for a job in retail, or in a fast food restaurant or coffeehouse, they'll often tell you that you need great 'people skills' to do the job, because you have to talk to people all the time. I think that's rather wishful thinking. You don't want to be a total ass when you deal with customers in those environments, but you certainly don't need to be able to form strong relationships because your interactions are so short. When someone sits in my chair, I get a chance to share something of myself with them, and they have the opportunity to do the same with me.
I might be way out of line on that one, and I don't want to give the wrong impression. Even small interactions with people in the workplace are valuable, and can even be some of the most important interactions we ever have (a smile; being treated well when you're feeling down...) But I love going deeper than that. I guess that's just the kind of guy I am.
So, I was going to follow that last post in a few days with something more about being a parent who tattoos as opposed to a parent who has tattoos. But then I saw this, and wanted to write straight away. This is something that I've been thinking about for a while.
The picture above comes from an article about a five year old girl that tattooed part of an image of a bee on her dad's arm. She had chosen the design for him, and the guy doing the work asked her if she wanted to fill some of it in.
My mentor, Joe Baker has a 12 year old son who tattooed him. He says that he isn't pushing him to tattoo for a living when he's older, but that it's a good skill to have. I agree. If Addie is interested when she's a bit older, then I would be very happy to teach her how to tattoo.
I guess that all of this relates to what was in the other post about parenting. How much do you think that my career choice will affect my daughter?
This is interesting.
It's taken from a blog on the Wall Street Journal about parenting.
This is an interesting one for me. The article is discussing the signals that a tattoo gives to your children. In particular, it mentions that a number of people visiting a New York tattoo removal clinic are new parents who 'find they underestimated the image they want to project'.
For me, I didn't experience this feeling at all. I won't be encouraging Addie to get a tattoo. But I have nothing against her getting one when she reaches the age of majority, so long as she thinks it through properly.
Yes, tattoos are becoming more mainstream, and that brings different attitudes. I don't think that it always has to be about your job, though. I would suggest anyone getting a tattoo, be it a tiny butterfly on their back, or a large full-colour piece on the side of their neck, think carefully about what they were getting and why.
My own opinion is that if you think you might ever want to get it removed, then don't get it. I know it's more complicated than that, but it's a good rule of thumb to start with.
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