Tattoos

I have been thinking a lot about tattoos.

I have one--a little green frog about halfway up my right side, under my arm (a tender spot, if you are wondering... it hurt like hell).

Getting it was a significant experience. A rite of passage. Not from boy to man, but from untattooed to tattooed.

I have several friends with tattoos. From little ones like mine to huge ones that cover whole portions of their bodies. (Oh, the pain!) When I went to get mine, three friends came with me, and two of them got tattooed. And my tattoo sparked all kinds of interest, sending at least five other people careening toward the nearest tattoo parlor with painful skin-painting on their minds.

Now, my tattoo is small. And it had this strange effect on the world around me. And I'm wondering, what about the others who went under the needle with me? Did their tattoos have the same effect? And if they did, then how many more people got tattoos?

Are we staring straight in the face of a tattoo epidemic?

The next time you find yourself in an elevator or a restroom with a stranger, turn to them and ask them about the status of their skin. Then tell me what they say. Together, we can gauge the power of this epidemic, and perhaps stop it before it is too late.