I will definitely never get a tattoo. First and foremost, a tattoo is not in my expendable income budget. I tend to be fairly frugal and weigh my options for any extra money. Most recently, I prefer to put gas in my car and groceries in my bag. I like my new yoga class and to occasionally treat a friend to lunch out. There is some deferred maintenance that needs to be done on the house and I have to hire that done. I worry about finances 'down the road'; graduations, funerals, weddings and gathering together as a family; most occasions that will require air fare, car rental and perhaps a VBRO.
Tatoos can be expensive and from my research the cost depends on many variables; how long the artist has been in the business, the size of the tattoo, the location of the tattoo, the complexity of the artwork, the amount of color and how long did it took to create. Many tattoo artists charge by the hour. Will that come to $150.- or more towards $6000.-? As common and popular as tattoos are, they don't come cheap.
It's not as though tattoos are a new thing, humans have been inking their skin for thousands of years. Through the years they were to show status, tribal affinity, decoration, punishment, or sometimes safety & protection against the unknown. But what of now, today? I think, that now, most hold significant meaning to the people who ink their body. It's common for those under 50 (i.e. not of the older generation like me). Those over 50 are still trying to catch up with the cultural norm of today and curb their reactions.
Tattoos are growing on me. It is pretty hard to live in the world today and not begin to embrace this form of art. I must admit though, that I prefer fewer (as opposed to a sleeve) so I don't have to get too up front and personal to 'read' the story. I prefer to be able to see the image clearly and gain an understanding of what it means to the person. Tatoos like above often begin a conversation, they become a way to slide new ideas out there that the uninitiated don't even know they need to hear! The tattoo generally means so much to a person they willingly and permanently ink their body.
It sends me back to 1974 when I bought my first couch, a scruffy fabric in a brown and gold plaid. One year later my 'love the look' twisted into thinking it was the ugliest thing ever. Does that carry to a young person believing today's passions will carry them to 80 years of age? Will the tattoo of today carry meaning in the years to come? I have no answer to that and again, it doesn't really matter, it's their body, their dream, their memory, their values that count.
And what does all this have to do with the opening photo? It is my friend Chris' arm. Chris was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's several years ago. PD is not a walk anyone wants to journey, but life, at some point, throws each us one or many such disruptions. I have been honored to see how Chris and his wife Jill have been navigating this path.
Chris is an amazing writer and is in the process of publishing a book on his life's path and new diagnosis of PD. It's about his favorite people, life's challenges, family, the need to take an early retirement. It's about hope. His care team is out of the University of Nebraska and he has a great connection with his primary doctor there. The tattoo is part honor, part acceptance and part gratitude; it is the chemical formula for dopamine, the primary drug for Parkinsons patients.
"Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. That's why it's sometimes called a chemical messenger.
Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It's a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps us strive, focus, and find things interesting.
Your body spreads it along four major pathways in the brain. Like most other systems in the body, you don’t notice it (or maybe even know about it) until there’s a problem.
Too much or too little of it can lead to a vast range of health issues. Some are serious, like Parkinson’s disease."
The thing about PD is that the body no longer has ample supplies of dopamine and must be augmented by synthetic means.
Chris is one of the 80% of PD patients who need more dopamine, it is a life line to hope. All of us need to understand that tattoos are much more popular theses days and need to be treated as part of our culture. Chris is a good man trying to find a path through a difficult disease. He has a kind heart and is now wearing a piece his story on his sleeve... so to speak.
That person you are judging, that person could be the nicest person you have every met. Handle your prejudice with care, show both yourself and others some grace. We all share the planet. And as Brene Brown would say, people are hard to hate up close, so move in.