The End

Tattoo Session #23
December 6, 2008

So, it’s over. My 16-month odyssey into pain, suffering, and tattoo shop culture has run its course. Only a single touch-up session remains, and that won’t happen until spring so that the ink has really settled into the skin properly.

The end itself was a little anti-climactic. I expected at least one more session, but Joel just laid down the tattoo machine and said: ”That’s it, we’re done.” “Done, done?” I asked. “Done, done.” he answered.

These sessions have become fully integrated into the rhythm of my life. Every 3-4 weeks, usually on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon we had a convenient excuse to drive up to Boulder. They have also become part of Kathy’s life as she came to every single session. So, after 23 appointments, and almost 55 hours of needle time, we need to find a new reason to go to Boulder.

One upside of the experience is that my ability to meditate has radically improved. I could never reach nothingness during a tattoo session but I was readily able to detach physically for 20-30 minutes at a time. Now I find traditional meditation much easier.

I write this as though someone has died and in some way it's how I feel. But at the same time I know that this really isn’t the end. Does something like this really end? Does anything ever really end? Or, like the great cosmic continuum, is the beginning of the next thing? The start of the start? I like to think if it this way more that it just being over.

Maybe it’s still too soon to write about this; the lessons will only begin appear with time. I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time I will celebrate the fact that I can now choose, or choose not, to get more work done.

Tattoo FAQ:

Does it hurt?
A: Yes, of course it hurts.

How much dies it hurt?
A: More than a really bad sunburn, less than a 25 M.P.H. bicycle crash. (These are the only relevant points of reference I can give.)

Why did you do it?
A: Because I wanted a big tattoo.

How much did it cost?
A: Labor and tip total a little more than $6k.

Did you pick the design?
A: No, I picked a general theme – Initially just the Dragon, and later the Japanese Myth of the Koi and the Dragon. I also picked the color of some of the larger things – the Blue Dragon, the Black/Yellow and White/Blue Koi. Beyond that it was really the artist’s call although he frequently asked if a particular color was OK.

How could you trust him so much?
A: I did my research; I looked for the right artist for well over a year before finding Joel. I was prepared to fly to either Miami or Austin to get this level of quality. I was lucky enough to find someone locally who had the chops to do the work I wanted.