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Jayplay

Tattoos: Passion vs. Reason

By jayplayeditor

March 2, 2011

By Jack Rafferty

If I were to tell you two unyielding forces constantly at war within you have determined every decision you have made, from the grand to the miniscule, would you agree? Probably not, but it’s true, and it is something I am constantly reminded by every time I see my tattoos.

“Your Soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against passion and your appetite, “ Khalil Gibran, philosopher and poet said. Why am I mentioning this when this blog post is about tattoos? Because this truth is fundamental to every decision we have or will ever make, including whether or not to get a tattoo.

If you look closely at my arm, and I mean closely, you will see the result of a Minneapolis tattoo artist’s heavy hand. I have loved tattoos as long as I can remember, but my first experience with the needle was almost enough to change that. The passion-filled decision involved little research on the “artist,” using that term loosely, and I was left with scarred skin when all was said and done.

I spent a year researching and another six months on the wait list before sitting in Ben Alvarez’s chair. Alvarez, owner of Done Rite Tattoos, is the most sought artist in the Kansas City area. After a year with Alvarez, I finished my sleeve last month and couldn’t be happier with the result. My new work covers my youthful mishap, but if you know where to look you can still see hints of scarring that nothing will erase.

Gibran also said, “A life governed by reason alone, is forced to confinement; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.”

Now in life, when passion ignites a desire I try and use reason before making my decision. I suggest you do the same if you are considering a tattoo.

Comments

Tattoos: Passion vs. Reason

Yup a good artist is part of the experience don't rush in, do research and you'll be fine in that aspect, and I love the quotes you provided may actually use them in a quote tattoo probably the “A life governed by reason alone, is forced to confinement; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.” by Gibran

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