My Long Awaited Birthday Gift

I got it. I was a little nervous, but I got it and I LOVE IT! Fortunately, Jean loves it too!

The week before my 40th birthday in January, with Jean's blessing, I went to Slave to the Needle in Ballard with pictures and ideas for a tattoo. From things that I had read on the internet I was pretty sure that I wanted Honest Jon to do my artwork. When I got there I looked through every artist's portfolio. Though the other artist's had great work, too, I liked his detail and color. I then talked with him a bit and he said that it was a simple and doable idea. I talked with someone at the front desk to book my date. She said that the earliest I could have it done was the first weekend in April, with my art consultation being the end of March. WOW! It felt like a long time to wait, but I really wanted it and I really wanted him. I've heard that any tattoo artist that is any good is typically booked out a while, so I was okay.

At the beginning of March I got a call saying that Honest Jon was going to be out of town the weekend I was scheduled for, and the next available opening would be May 29. I agreed, but wondered if it was something that would ever really happen. But it did. I met with him on May 22 at 11am for my art consult. What he had done with the original concept idea was very sweet. I had envisioned something pretty basic, and he gave a lot of life to it. I could hardly wait.

I arrived Saturday afternoon a few minutes early for my appointment. Honest Jon was still setting up. I couldn't believe what I was about to do. I had come from very conservative Baptist roots. My body would be changed forever.

Finally, he called me back to the chair. He had printed off a template with the design on it. After washing my arm, and shaving it, he laid it on my wet arm to transfer the design. It took about five tries and two templates to get a good position. No turning back. I was ready. Before he started I asked if I was going to cry from pain. He said in his soft, quiet demeanor, "Probably not," and he started. The tattooing needle felt like a nail being pressed and dragged across my skin. That may sound painful, but it really wasn't.

Over halfway through I was asked to change positions a second time and I was able to take another look and see what he had done so far. It looked SO COOL. He had estimated that it would take about two and a half hours, but it was closer to an hour and forty five minutes by the time he had finished.

When we were all done he wrapped it up and repeated the care instructions. I was pleased with how it turned out, and I think he was pleased, and pleased at how pleased I was.

I texted Jean that I was on my way, and she texted back that she couldn't wait to see it. I drove home all bandaged. It was a little uncomfortable to shift. I went home, had dinner, and waited the allotted time before taking the bandage off to show Jean, Sam, and Alina.

My tattoo is a bike chain the feeds into an open wound. It represents what a source of healing mountain biking has been for me. It has always been a time where I could go out and wrestle with God and return changed. Often I was still frustrated, but still very changed.

On one link is "J," on another is "S" and on a third is "A." You can see the "A" on the second link going into the wound. J is for Jean, S for Sam, A for Alina. On a link on my inner bicep is a Trinity symbol, representing "The Father," "The Son," and "The Holy Spirit."

When I looked over my tattoo in the mirror at Slave to the Needle before it was bandaged I told Honest Jon that it made my other arm look really bare. He said, "That's what makes people come back." I already have an idea swirling for my left arm.