Tattoo
 

Back in 1995 when first started making any dough, living in an apartment in Texas, I was in Sacto visiting the folks, and was at my cousins place, getting some clothes that he had become too fat to wear anymore. We were sitting around on the porch of his current domicile, a nice, restored 75 year old duplex in mid-town, had a Murphy bed in living room. My friend of over 10 years, Jim Pantages, who I had not seen in about a year and a half, walked up. Aske how he was, where he was going, on his way home. Turns out he lived right next door to my cousin in the other half of the duplex, and he was very proud of this new tattoo he had. Treble clef surrounded by a whole note, he was a muscian, that was pretty cool, nice color greenish blue in it. I said it was cool, but I would not get a tattoo, what is there that I would want to wear the rest of my life, right.

About a week later, after returning to Texas, I got a call from my mom, Jim had been shot and killed by a couple of criminals out robbing people. Jim had just finished a gig, and was killed while he and Spider were loading equipment. Was a big group of us that hung out together, and I got to talking about it with my brother. I said I had never had any interest in getting a tattoo, but I wanted to get that one that Jim got right before he was killed. They caught the perps when they used Jim's credit card where one of the guy's girlfriends worked, lucky they were stupid. Turns out, several people had the same idea, and at the end of summer in 1995, went to the same tattoo artist and about a dozen of us got that tat. Well, not exactly, I got a mirror image of it, as Jim had it less than a week and died, so I figured I did not want the same thing exactly. Over that labor day weekend, there were a few benefit concerts, and now there is a Jim Pantages Scholarship Fund at El Camino HS in Sacramento. That is how I ended up with a tattoo.

Since that time, I discovered that a couple who were robbed and shot at and missed the same night, they ran away after they tossed there valuables in the other direction, had a mutual friend, Doug Hannah, when they told me about it when we happened to meet. Neither of them knew Jim. I also happened to have a guy who worked at channel 13 with Jim for years come in as a patient. Talked to him for hours, lucky he was last one, coming in after work. Small world.


Do you have a tattoo?

What was the point of the first three paragraphs? :confused:

"That is how I ended up with a tattoo."


I am glad Tobra has found a way to memorialize his friend. Life on this green planet is day to day at best...

Yes I have one, but my story is not nearly as good as yours. :)

Leviticus 19:28, Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.

If someone wants to get a tattoo that's their business, but I won't and neither will my children.

I've been thinking of a barber pole...

I've never heard a good reason for a tattoo. Until I read sammyg's post that is. Anything to piss off the "religious right" types is worth doing, IMO. :D

Getting one to piss someone off I suppose is the origin of 70% of them...

Like I said, that's your business and after 30 years of walking around with something permanantly stained into your skin that has long since lost any coolness it ever had (if it had any at all) you can say you really got one over on me ;)

I really love tattoos; always been pretty intrigued by them and the process. I don't currently have one, but often think about it, and I'm pretty confident that I'll have some ink before it's all said and done. I want just the right theme, and being that I'm interested in many styles/genres, it makes it difficult to decide. Some tiny "over the counter" design that a drunk Spring-breaker might get, just won't do for me.

I really want to get the insides of my forearms done, as it looks to be a pretty decent canvas.

So I'm taking my time...

Seems like it lost its coolness after every suburban white girl got one.

Always wanted a set of crossed Brandeis Crew Oars (every crew has it's own colors/pattern) on my arm or calf. Rowed for 3 years, coached for 5 and to this date is one of the best experiences of my life. Just found some old championship caps in storage the other day. Great memories, to think I used to be able to run Harvard Stadiums...

I have a half sleeve on my left arm, as well as a nearly complete quarter sleeve on my right. A few things on ym legs, and a DIY on my right ankle. Needless to say, I love tats.

Personally I'd rather show the business that I built / the organization to help people I put together / the race car I crafted / the cool kids I raised...something that took some effort. When my neighbor rolled up his sleeve and said "hey look what I got" I wasn't impressed. Sort of an easy way to try and attract attention to yourself.

No, I don't have one.

I get into the discussion alot (it seems) and to me there are basically two kinds of people who get tattoos. Those that do it for attention and those that do it to make a personal statement. Into the former group I lump everyone who gets on spur of the moment because it's the cool thing to do or the really weird folks who tattoo their faces, etc (check out the random pics thread) and the latter group does it more as a reflection of who they are and their willingness to set themselves apart from the crowd without screaming "look at me".

99% of the people that know me don't even know I have a tattoo. That's perfectly fine with me.

I don't have any tatoos, but I've often thought of getting the P inside the upside-down triangle that Porsche has stamped on parts. I'd get it maybe 1" by 1" and in a hidden place. No one needs to know about it that I don't want to.

I have 2 and I'm getting a third at some point soon. They're discreet and mean something to me -- no "tribals" or barbed wire armbands.

I'm having "infidel" tattooed, in arabic, on my forearm in ink only visible under ultraviolet light (that's discreet).

I'll just have to wear long sleeves in those fundamentalist Islamic nightclubs.

JP

Oh, +1 to Mike/IROC.

well that's teachin' 'em to think for themselves... ;)

Maybe "HEATHEN" in Aramaic would be cool. :)

Funny. If someone had said: "I don't go to church and neither will my children", he'd probably be congratulated for fostering independent thought. SmileWavy