Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Coexist




So now it turns out there's some kind of federal law against elected officials taking money in exchange for political favors. Who knew?




On a more important note, every generation hopes the next generation goes even f
urther. Or farther. Whatever - I'm too tired right now to reach for the dictionary. In my family, for example, my generation has been the first to have the opportunity to go to college. Continuing in that spirit, today my son James became the first in our family history to get a tattoo, a series of letters and religious symbols that, taken together, spell out "coexist." It's a pleasing message and, I suppose, not surprising given the diversity of religions, nationalities, races, sanity levels, etc. that my kids have had the advantage of knowing all their lives, at home as much as on the outside.

For some reason my kids' friends are surprised that my wife and I are ok with this. In my mind, as long as the tattoo is selected and placed such that it passes the "job interview" test, it shouldn't be a problem. It's not something I'd elect to do for myself - for some reason I'm just not comfortable doing anything that includes getting a reversed graphic image in blood on a large bandage - but I'm sure I've done a thing or two my kids wouldn't want to get near either. All I've ever really asked of my children is to be good people, respect themselves and others, and support their parents in grand style after retirement. (That would be the parents' retirement, not the kids'.) That's not too much to expect, is it?


Unrelated Item: Paradigm Shift Into Overdrive

For as long as anyone could remember, car salesmen were understood to be bottom-feeding, silver-tongued people-hating swindlers. A tough economy somehow has turned them into sympathetic characters. I'm not sure I can go along with that; I'll have to ok it with the manager.

7 comments:

DB said...

I don't understand youhngsters getting tattoos these days. I thought it was a fad, but it's turning into a big business. A girl I know got one and then got another. She said it was addictive. I guess it's a better addiction than dope. I heartily agree with your instructions to your kids, especially the part about your retirement. At 70 I have no kids taking care of me.

DB

Amy said...

dude! I like the tatt! it's pretty badass.

Lisa said...

LOL, about checking with the manager!

The tattoo sounds tasteful and I like the message. I have 2 very meaningful tatts and they both pass the interview test. I've not regretted either of them.

My mom shares your views on retirement expectations. :)
Lisa

Tawnya said...

I think that I am one of the first 3 to go to college in my family. I am wanting a tattoo as well, but your son's is pretty cool. I am not for tats that you can see, I want mine somewhere that only people I want to see it can...

Anonymous said...

Oh Groan. I wasn't too thrilled either a few weeks back when several Jersey City officers wound up hospitalized, one having been shot in the neck, one in the face, by a drug dealer dressed as a priest no less, and the Mayor of Jersey City went to have lunch with Obama that day instead of going over to the hospital..saying the "officers are doing well." Yeah, till one died.
I'm not UP on Jersey pols right now...~Mary

Sandy Daigler said...

I think "coexist" is a good message for a tattoo, but I'm not a tattoo fan in general. I keep thinking that no matter how cool it looks now, when you son is 70, it will be all wrinkled and maybe running/faded and how good will that look? But then what does a 20-something care about what will happen when he's 70?

Lisa said...

I love the tattoo! I'm curious, did he come up with the idea himself or did he see it somewhere??