My Tattoo, what, where and why I did it

When I was 16 my father gave me a framed copy of the Rudyard Kipling poem titled “IF” which hung on my wall for the entire duration of my high-school career. This poem was very special to him and when I was 21 he read me the poem in his speech at my 21st birthday celebrations. The day before he died I wrote him a letter in which I quoted the poem in reference to him “finally being a Man” and I also had the privilege of reading my final letter to my father at his funeral. This poem is one that has a very deep and special meaning to me. Forever.

Couple this special meaning with the fact that I really do want to be a Man of the stature and integrity that Kipling refers to and because I saw my father living out most of these principals in every day life it has only motivated me more to attempt to be this Man.

So, after much planning and preperation, I broke my tattoo virginity on Sunday and had the final sentence in the Kipling poem, “You’ll be a man, my son.”, tattooed around my wrist. I also had a few ink splotches added because my father, in his writing, would often refer to himself (and that of the journalists from his era) as an ink-stained reporter.

I never want to forget my father and the splotches will always ensure that this never happens and the poem around my wrist is now a constant reminder to me of how I must strive to be the Man I am supposed to be. It took my father neigh on 60 years to get it right but get it right he did. If this is the only thing I am successful at in my life please God let this be it.