Some might say that getting a first tattoo at the age of 42 might be the beginning sings of a midlife crisis. Those people may be right, but I've actually wanted one since my teen years. My problem has always been "What do I like now that I'm going to like 50 years from now?" When I would walk into a shop and check out the art on the walls or flip through binders, there was nothing that meant anything to me. I never wanted a tribal eagle, barbed wire, Bugs Bunny, Chinese characters, or any other trendy thing.

About a year ago it dawned on me - make my own. So I drew up a design and it's been sitting on my computer ever since. During my vacation I got to see my brother Mark, eight years my senior and also tattooless, and we decided to get some ink to commemorate our visit. I got my custom design inked up...he got Chinese characters.

On a side note, we got them done in South Carolina where tattoos have only been legal for a short time.  I mean, it's not like they'd come after you with a cheese grater if you had one, but there were no tattoo parlors.  Now, every tattoo parlor has a sign that reads "Neck and Face tattoos are not legal in the state of South Carolina."  I have no desire for either of those, but it seemed a bit strange that they were forbidden by law.  Gotta love the south.

This tattoo actually runs vertically on my left arm, but it's a better fit for the website if I do it horizontally. Any guesses on what this says?

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