Stories Written in Ink Part 1: You Never Forget Your First

Posted by Kevin on Aug 10, 2011 in RSD's Tattoos | 2 comments

Picking out my first tattoo was a daunting task. I went through several ideas over the years. All along there were two criteria that this tattoo had to meet. First, it had to be be original. Like I mentioned earlier, I was not going to walk in and pick something out of a book. Nor was I going to get the standard “barbed wire” or tribal design. No disrespect to those that have one of those, it’s just not me.

Second, it had to be a symbol of my faith as a Christian. But I did not want the standard Christian Fish. One of the first designs I wanted was by the Christian thrash metal band, The Crucified.

I still love this design, but the more metal concerts I went to supporting various Christian bands, I noticed that everyone had this tattoo.  As much as I loved this design, I was not one to follow the heard. So back to the drawing board I went.

Fast forward to 2007. I was overweight and not happy with how I looked. This may come as a shock to some, but men struggle with how they look too. I did and I still do. It’s hard not too when our culture puts such an emphasis on being skinny and fit.

I found myself hating the fact that I did not have the six pack abs and the chiseled chest. When men like this (see below) are plastered all over TV, movies, and rock bands, it’s hard not to become self conscious.

And while I know my wife loves me just as I am, it’s still a tough battle. Especially when you have been battling your weight all your life.

Anyway, enough with the pity party. In August of 2007, I decided to to something about it. I signed up at a gym, hired a personal trainer (fat boys need help in a gym!), and had a goal to lose 20 lbs. Once I did, I would reward myself with a tattoo. (While I do not look like Ryan Reynolds, I am proud to say that I have lost the 20lbs and have kept it off since then.)

So, during the time I was working out, I began my quest (again) for my tattoo. It was actually during one of my workouts that I finally figured out what I wanted.

I wanted a cross that was digging into my flesh, with my body rejecting it. But what did that look like? I had no clue.

Well, during this time, my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our first roadie. That put the tattoo off for a little while, as I focused on prepping for fatherhood. Then, on July 30, 2008, we welcomed Ginny into the world.

It wasn’t until 2009  that I was finally ready for a tattoo. Originally, the groupie wife and I were going to go to Wilmington, NC for our anniversary and I would get inked up there. But, at the urging of a good friend to stay local for the tattoo, we decided to stay here.

So I asked Billy where he went to get his tattoos. He told me to go to Animated Canvas and see Shane, a decision I have never regretted.

It was very nerve racking walking into a tattoo shop, seeing all these tough guys covered in ink, and this pasty white boy wanting to get his first.

When I met Shane for the first time, I had several cross designs to show him. We sat down and I told him my idea. The cross was to be a symbol of my struggle with sin and living a life that would please Christ. I also wanted it to symbolize the fact that no matter what I do, the cross was never going to let go.

Shane nodded, flipped through the pages and asked that we give him a couple of hours to come up with the design. So the groupie wife and our little roadie went back home to wait.

Then I got the call. Shane was ready. I was nervous. I was more concerned about if I would like the design or not. Those fears were laid to rest when I saw it. Shane did an incredible job of bringing into reality something I couldn’t even see in my head!

Now was the time for the pain. After Shane applied the stencil, I sat in the chair as he began to prep the ink and the gun. I gulped when I saw the size of the needle!

The first five minutes were intense! The question I always get asked was, “Did it hurt?” The short answer is yes. The pain intensity varies on where you get your tattoo. The pain was not as strong as my excitement. In fact, the pain was very tolerable.

This was on my left arm, right below the shoulder, which, in my opinion, has the least amount of pain. As he got closer to the shoulder, the pain intensified. Also, it hurt more when he added the color. That’s because there is typically 4 needles going on at once.

When all was said and done, the pain was equivalent to a bad sun burn. But the pain does not last long. By the next day, it was a whole lot better.

When Shane finished, I couldn’t get over to the mirror fast enough! I was amazed at how good it looked! It was well worth the pain. It’s been almost 2 1/2 years since I got that first one and I have never regretted it.

That day was a great experience. Not only did I get to share that experience with the groupie wife and my little roadie, but groupie wife also got inked that day!

It was a family experience that I will never forget and will always cherish. And I have the tattoo to forever remember that moment; that there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and there is nothing I can do to make God love me less.

Oh yeah, and you can’t stop at just one. To be continued…