I was so impressed with the Picture of a Salvation Army tattoo I saw a few weeks ago that it reminded me of a time when I might have done the same thing; Salvo of the Salvo’s and all that sort of stuff. Not only was I impressed with the content of the Tattoo but it is a seriously good piece of art, and although I have only glanced at some of the Tattoo magazines occasionally, it would rank as equal to any of them as just ‘good stuff’.
The story is told of the Salvation Officer in North Korea who was banned from wearing his uniform when the Army was proscribed in the early 50’s. He was so disappointed that he had his insignia tattooed on his body so that they could not actually take away his expression of faith. (Someone might be able to confirm this piece of history for me) Now that is commitment and we will all have different views of that but just the same a tattoo is something that you cannot go back on very easily, is it?
Many people have been through mid life crisis and it has expressed it in many different ways. I was recently talking with someone about men in mid life crisis and she expressed a great deal of scorn about mature men who feel they need to compete in a younger world and have hair transplants and even face lifts and many of the other aspects that is perceived of fighting against the years, that need not be mentioned to this delicate audience; and she added the “imbecilic need some mature men have for red sports cars”. It was, I perceived a much practiced speech about the vagaries of men’s fight against maturity, and when she had finished I sort of agreed with her and dropped into the conversation that I used to have a 1980 red Triumph sports car that for a time was the love of my life. My perception is that she was more embarrassed than I was. At about that time of mid life crisis I did go and get an ear stud. When people asked me why I was able to say very confidently “I have two very good reasons for doing this; it’s my ear, and I could afford it” Now I know that you might say that is not a really good idea but at the time it seemed as good as any and it is still there and a few brave people ask me why.
Many years ago I heard a radio interview with a young DJ and a mature woman who was an expert in etiquette, people were ringing in and there was the usual I have got a tattoo here or there... and it was a very interesting discussion. At the end of the interview the mature woman said that she was going to get a tattoo, in an ‘intimate place’. The DJ was aghast and asked her why; “one day I will possibly have to be in care and people will have to do all sorts of intimate things for me that I can no longer do for myself. When they do these things they will see the tattoo and realise that this elderly woman who needs everything done for her, once had a life”. Whether you agree with her rationale or not is immaterial, it was important for her.
Around the same time as this much maligned mid life crisis attacked me, I was in the States and at the San Hose airport when the world changed forever. Yes 9/11 changed many people’s lives and the next week that I was in San Hose I went to sit in a Starbucks Coffee shop every day and for possibly the first time in my life had a major re-evaluation of what I was involved in and how I could make a more significant difference in the world. I am a serial joiner and I had quite a large list of the things that I was involved, what got on to that list to keep doing and what didn’t is a whole story but what did fall under the line was playing in brass bands, that at the time I was up to 48 years almost continually, but it went. On my eventual return to Australia I was wondering how I could recognise this decision to make a more significant event. Well you have realised, I am sure from the start of this article that I went and got a tattoo. I do not make a big thing of this but in most people’s minds the unspoken question is ‘where has he got it?’ and I can tell you that I saw in the tattoo studio things that made my eyes water, but I have it in a place where it is easy to see every morning in the bathroom mirror, and where it will remind me of that decision to make a greater difference in the world. Now the only thing left is what I should use.
I have always been fascinated with Jewish and Hebrew culture and one of my prized possessions is a small piece of rock from Masada that a friend brought home for me. So I decided that I would have תיקון עולם as the graphic. Now for all of you who are not fluent in Hebrew it is 'Tikkun Olan'. These are the characters that represent the concept of ‘to heal, mend and repair the world’. I am sure that it is not original as a tattoo but this one is mine and it is there forever so until the time I am in the twilight home for the bewildered and I can’t stand up to look in the mirror I will have that constant reminder of what I have to do today.
I would like to think that it s a magic answer to the motivation that we all seek, but it is just a reminder of a time when I reinvigorated my long standing decision to continue to try and make a positive difference in my world.
So there it sits looking at me and when I tell people, I am aware that they often put me into the segment between aging hippy and radical lefty which neither fits very well. Even with a tattoo I am still just me.
Now if you want advice on what tattoo is best for you...... give me a call and I will tell you how painful it was.
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