Tattoos

I always wanted to get a tattoo, but my Dad told me growing up that only whores and sailors had tattoos.  I wasn’t planning on going in the Navy, so I knew I had options.  He also said that I couldn’t get into West Point with a tattoo.  I’m not sure if that was true, but I didn’t want West Point to get in the way of my ink.  Cancer remission is measured in 5 year increments, so 5 years after my 1st bout with cancer I celebrated by getting my first tattoo; the Notre Dame insignia.  I had to bargain with Diane over it, I got a $25 dollar tattoo and she got a diamond tennis bracelet.  I thought it was a fair trade.  At that point in 1992 I was married, raising 3 boys, graduated from ND, Duke, and was a hospital CEO. That Easter Diane sent out photographs of me in the back yard without a shirt on playing with our kids.  My Dad saw the tattoo and said to my Mom, “now he’ll never get into West Point.”  In spite of this advice I’ve kept getting tattoos every 5 years, so after 35 years of this I’ve got a bunch of Celtic Tattoos.  To support my cause my sons copied my Trinity Knot and Celtic Cross tattoos when they were in high school and Notre Dame.  Diane couldn’t stand being excluded, so she started getting tattoos also.  All told, we’ve got over 20 tats between us excluding my radiation marks.  My Dad told us all one summer on the lake “now none of you are getting into West Point”.  Tattoos have given me new goals to meet as well as celebrations every 5 years.  I didn’t expect my family to join in with me, but their support has carried me a long way.  No, you don’t have to get a tattoo to beat cancer, but setting goals and celebrating your victories with your family is a huge benefit, even if you don’t get into West Point.