::Notice::
The following information is being presented as my own opinion, and should be treated as such. Whenever possible I will cite sources, or references for the information provided. I suggest that you perform your own research before obtaining any Tattoo's. I also suggest that Tattoo's should be performed by knowledgeable persons who are if possible certified and licensed. New sterile Needles and fresh inks should be used for every client, and the environment should be of the same sterile cleanliness. Everyone reacts to the pain and stimulation of tattooing in different ways, you should have people with you to help you out should the process make you light headed or cause you distress. Anyone recieving thier first tattoo should take every precaution they can to avoid needing to operate a vehicle or peform any tasks after recieving the tattoo. Some people respond to the tattooing process with symptoms similar to shock and this can cause problems staying consious, keeping equilibrium, and effect reflex times. Once again, these are my opinions, please seek out your own trusted sources and references as you see fit.

::My Tattoo's

I had always considered tattoo's to be a biker or greaser type marking. I had always found them interesting and had occasionally thought about getting one, but had never really thought about what I'd want permanently on my body. In fact when I was 13 and attempting to talk my parents into getting an earring (left earlobe of coarse) my mother decided to mess with me and offered to let me get tattooed rather than get an earring. When I agreed with her and started to direct her to one of the local tattoo parlors (very few of them in our suburbs at the time) she relented and I got my earring. Tattooing really didnt enter my mind much again till the early 90's when it became semi-fashionable again. I stopped for gas at a 76 station one day, and behind the counter I saw the picture that would change my view of tattoo's. It stuck in my mind, the cover of 'International Tattoo' had a dainty blonde with a short haircut, she was sitting with her back to the camera and had her arms draped across her front and onto her shoulders. She was displaying her tattoo, which was a series of geometric shapes intertwined with swirls and such sweeping across and down her back. It was the first time I realized that tattoo's could be incredible attractive and sexy. I knew then that i woudl be getting one soon... and International Tattoo would become one of my favorite magazines. I eventually decided that my tattoo's woudl have to be very personal to me, something I could wake up with in 30 years and still belive in or look at without wondering what I had been smoking at the time. I knew my first tatoo from the start, a very simple design that most parlors probably had flash for. I wasnt looking for something new or amazing, I wanted an Ankh.

A few friends loaded up and we headed downtown to 'The Tattoo Factory' to get some tattoo's. This has to be 92-93 so our choices were limited. Most shops at this time in Chicago were 21 or over... so one of the criteria was that they didnt pay alot of attention to our id's. This was also a good shop that was clean and had a decent reputation. Anyways, I got my first tattoo, a solid black Ankh on my left upperarm/shoulder. The girlfriend of the Owner was the artist, personally I felt more comfortable with her than the monster biker she dated. Once in my system, I could feel the urge for more ink... I still can, but luckily I make sure I save it up, for the best design or idea i can come up with. My second tattoo was done at the same place, maybe 6-8 months later. I got an Eye of Horus on the approximately same area on my right arm. As you can tell, I have a love for egyptian symbolsm, and these two had always spoken to me.

It wasnt for another year or two that I had the idea for my next tattoo. It was at the first Nudestock, at Turtle Lake resort in Union City, Michigan when I met a freinds tatoo artist. She had setup a atent and was tattooing on site for the festival. Raven was her name, and she tattooed out of Kalamazoo normally. As a group we domineered most of her time that weekend, the group of us got dozen tattoo's that weekend, most being semi custom jobs. I found a wonderful egyptian wingset in on of her graphic books, we both loved it but we agreed that tattooing small would ruin it and if we wrapped it around it would be extremelyu painful on my underarm. I decided to have her curve it upward like wings in flight, makign almost a shoulde shield effect on my arm. We placed it on my right arm, encircling my Eye of Horus. It was beautiful.

Sinceall of this, I have seen several of my friends get more tattoo's, helped people desing and choose thiers, and watched my own father get his first real tattoo to cover up and old hand done one from his teenage years. I hid them at first, so my family wouldnt get wierd about them. Now my cousin has one, my aunt has one, and the family accepts them as part of us. I have come close to getting another, but I feel that things were not right and thats what stopped me. I have several designs I am rolling around in my head, all with thier plus' and minus'. Someday I'll have the right picture in my head and find the right remale tattoo artist, and once again I will have ink flowing fresh in my veins. I have always loved the traditional Samoian shorts style tattoo's... maybe smeday I will get the chance and the guts to get one done. I hear they hurt too... <smirk>