[Anthony]

So… the thought of getting a full sleeve tattoo has crossed my mind many times over the years. The thought of having an everlasting job stopper kind of bothers me, while simultaneously inspiring me to do it even more, which is a crazy feeling. For one thing, these are modern times where a huge portion of the <35-years-old population has tattoos, and so lots of hiring is being done by people with tattoos and dress code regulations are certainly becoming more and more lax. But also, if someone is going to be closed minded enough to not hire someone based on looks, race, gender, etc. etc., then… FUCK that person or company. Seriously. Back in the good ol’ days, I used to feel like, “oh… intolerance sucks, but I’ll just try to dodge that sort of behavior.” But the older I get, the more intolerant of intolerance I become. Even to the point of turning down a good job if it meant I’d be working for negative people. I guess I’m turning into a “man of principles,” if you will.

But the job issue is just one aspect of it. The real clincher is the possibility of getting tired of it. Tattoo removal has come a long way and actually... nowadays… yes, you can pretty much totally undo a tattoo. Even still, if I decide to do something that requires commitment, I like to fully commit. I guess it’s the BMX rider in me. “Let’s warm up with some half-backflips,” said no rider ever. Or at least I've never said that. But even if it’s something that can be undone – marriage, moving to another country, etc., I still like to approach it as if there’s no way out. I’ve always felt that’s the proper way to make any important decision. Assume it’s 100% permanent, and behave like it’s so afterwards.

I had a dream I got a sleeve a few days ago, and ever since then I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’s weird. Dreams don’t normally affect me like this. It’s so intense, actually, that I felt the need to share. I’m not even sure if I’m asking for suggestions or input, just felt provoked.