“Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” ― Jack London

Tattoos are everywhere – it seems like everyone has one these days. With all this ink, I’ve been wondering what’s behind the rising trend. Maybe people are getting tattoos because they have a need to fit in with the quarter of our population who “get it” the tattooed.

And the hip crowd isn’t stopping at one. A full 70 percent of people with tattoos have added more to go with their original choice. Is it a way for millennials and boomers to celebrate or recapture their youth? After all, it’s certainly cheaper than a sports car or a trip to the plastic surgeon. Even seniors are visiting the parlor to pick out a design, with men over 65 being three times more likely to be needled than their women friends.

So does this ancient tradition have a place in my life? That’s what I’m trying to decide as I think about my choice in getting my first tattoo.

My research has me dividing tattoos into three main camps – decorative, informational, and finally the “why’d I do that?” group.

Chilly Willy is the only person I knew who could combine all three. RIP William “Chilly Willy” Major, (1954 – 2012). You were one of a kind.

The ones I like best are of the decorative variety. They’re the true works of art that bring a magical and creative spirit to the adorned. Informational tattoos are good, like the lady with the Do Not Resuscitate ink on her chest.

These marks are the best at displaying their message in a no-nonsense way. But talk to your doctor and lawyer first, the ER may need convincing of our DNR wish.

Then there are all the others, my least favorite, the “why’d I do that?” tattoo. Was it just a flashy pattern tacked to the parlor’s wall that night? Was the guy too drunk to care what the artist was doing? Did the gal only have 25 bucks in her purse? Whatever the reason, some tattoos appear to have absolutely no point at all.

As for getting a tattoo of my own … well, I haven’t fully decided. But when and if the time comes, I’ve found a way of combining the decorative with the informational.

My tattoo will be the Japanese hieroglyph for the word Kindness.

This decorative message will be my reminder for the world I want to live in each day.

I’ll place it on my left wrist – the side closest to my heart. I’ve worn my Wakami earth bracelet on my left wrist for years, but when (and if) I get a tattoo, the new mark will go there.

But what if my tattoo is a mistake and ends us in the “why’d I do that?” group.

My dad and golfer Lee Trevino had one thing in common, they both had tattoos that turned out wrong.

Lee had the name of an ex-wife on his forearm and needed to keep it hidden with tape. My dad had a big heart on his left arm with a space open for a name. He’d gotten the tattoo long before he met mom, yet her name was never added. Maybe those weren’t the best choices for either man.

I want my lifetime tattoo to be about a lifetime of living; to say what I mean and help me be what I say. Maybe I need to give it more thought (not the idea, just the permanent ink).

Do you have any tattoos? What can you tell me about them? Do they have a story behind them?

Then, if you’re as brave as I think you are, you can send me a picture (but remember, this is a G-rated site).

As always the conversation starts here.

“In the ordinary choices of every day we begin to change the direction of our lives.” – Eknath Easwaran

Epilogue

Take a look at what happens when we say, “What can one more hurt?”