Birthday Gift

I've thought about getting this tribal sun tattoo around my navel for some time now. I saw it I liked it, I wanted. But thinking about it took a bit of a turn as I started to conceptualize something more than just a tribal sun around my navel. I began to do some research on tribal tattoos, specifically the tribal sun and it's meaning and the more I read the more I wanted the tattoo. Then I got another idea - if this is going to be permanent it needs to have some more meaning and be more significant, so I thought about it some more, and it came to me.

The sun often represents life, masculinity (contrary to popular belief) among other things, I thought about the most important people in my life right now, and I thought about Jabari and Sofie. Who could I represent them in ink - I didn't want names, I was trying to stay within the sym

bols concept. And there it was. I want the four main points of the sun flare to represent Jabari, Sofie, Me and our union. So the concept was born, old zodiac signs, the left point of the sun flare would represent Sofie (of course you know she thought it would be better on the right, since she is my right hand - the phrase sitted at the right hand of God came to mind), the right me, the centre top Jabari - and now I have an empty bottom; ah, I got it the union of man and woman which brought this child on earth - the blade and ch

alice (six point star - commonly known as the star of David).

My journey through the pain of what in my mind (and I suspect my mind alone) a good idea began at 5:58pm 5 December 2009. I did not anticipate the pain - I have been through this before, I thought it could not have been as bad as the one I got on my pelvis, but clearly I was wrong. The pain was new, different more intense. Every entry of the needle excruciating (did I mention there were moments where I bawled out from the pain), and I thought to myself what the fuck was I thinking. This is nothing like I remembered, fuck, has my tolerance for pain decreased with the passing year - is it too late to stop now. Fuck it, I thought, I want this, pain is ephemeral - I can do this, breath into the pain; my god Earl you had a tantric orgasm when you tattooed your pelvis, you were reading a book when you got your previous tattoo, you can do this (say feb). None of that shit worked.

I wanted the pain, but I did not anticipate this much, breath into the pain my ass. Sweat poured through every pore. Strange though I could not feel that I was sweating, Sofie and the tattoo artist pointed out to me that I was dripping. I tried to recount the pelvic tattoo, tried to be one

with the pain, I really did try to get the pleasure from this pain like I am usually able to do - but today I would have no luck. I felt myself sink with despair when I realized that Alvin (the tattoo artist) was not even done with the outline of the tattoo yet, much less to begin filling it in - OMG! Alvin reassured me that the most painful part of the tattoo was the outlining, the shading would be a breeze. I must say the jokes in between of past tattoo clients did alot to keep my mind off the pain.

Just like Alvin said the pain of the shading was very bearable, I felt a return to that masochistic

bastard that I have come to love. An hour and a half later I was finished and my boxers and pants were soaked with perspiration. Inspired by my youthful exuberance (a euphemism for life experience you will look back on and think - what the fuck was I thinking) Sofie decided to put a tattoo of Jabaris' initials that she had designed from last year. I had said I would get one more tattoo after the tribal sun and I'm done - I need not tell you that I am giving that thought serious reconsideration. Today's tattoo brings my tats to a total of four - but this one is and will be the most significant one to me. I've been blessed with a beautiful wife (not just physically), a healthy son and a better than average life - the North Wind has been very good to me and for that I am thankful. No matter what happens from here on out this is my family - first wife (not that I'm intending to remarry), first baby mama, first child; nothing can ever replace these first in my life.