There are moments when I wish the first time had been a more memorable experience; nonetheless, it’s a part of my story and something I’ve grown to appreciate.
I was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, for an electronic principles course. Ultimately, I ended up failing the course and extending my stay in the sweltering heat of, Mississippi, for eight months, while I awaited my retraining opportunity. This extended stay, in the heart of the South, provided me with a window into a region of the country I had never previously encountered.
The group of military members whom I had spent the most time with, shared the same interests as I did at the time. We enlisted in the military for similar reasons, we loved the competitive nature of sports, only listened to rap music, and southern cuisine and culture seemed to draw us closer together. It only seemed right that we would christen our first military experience with a tattoo. The tattoo appointment came shortly after a skipped morning military roll call, so that we could attend a Lil Wayne concert the night prior. Our crew narrowly escaped non-judicial punishment by keeping spare uniforms in the bushes to change clothes. So, excitement and adventure were my top priorities at the time. Helping the case was the fact that my family tree is peppered with military members, who had been inked in service-earned tattoos. It seemed like a rite of passage moment, so I dead hung from the dormitory window and dropped to the ground.
With Lil Wayne tickets in hand, we were on our way to the Cajun Dome in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
To be completely honest, not a whole lot of thought went into the tattoo, or the Lil Wayne concert for that matter, but I don’t regret the decision at all. I believe I was the person to suggest the word, and I remember doing so because of a recent film that bore the same name. Flyboys is a war drama set during WWI about Army Air Corps pilots. The film had been released in late 2006, so it was still fresh in my mind. Consequently, I blurted it out to the group of guys, all of whom had grown up in the south, and the rest is history. It helped to solidify the decision for all of us when we heard a popular rapper, Lil Flip, had a song entitled the same.
Five, young, green, wet-behind-the-ears kids walked off the military base and got matching tattoos.
I don’t know what I expected out of a $35 tattoo, but that initial experience taught me more than I ever could have imagined. I couldn’t tell you a single name of the guys who I had gotten the tattoo with, but I’ll never forget their faces. Moreover, I’ll never forget the time we had spent sitting in those shitty hard chairs awaiting our impending doom, only to have the tattoo gun raked across our skin for the first time and feel the burn of the needle. It was our indoctrination into the world of body art, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
But, if you want some advice out of the ordeal I’m more than willing….Just remember that:
- Quality takes time.
- Time costs money.
- Tattoos are forever.
- Shitty tattoos fade, but they never disappear.
From that very first tattoo, I discovered that as long as you’re clear regarding the reasoning behind your tattoo you can find clarity in the experience; furthermore, you’ll gain far more than a piece of ink on your skin. I’ve since had the option to cover or enhance my first tattoo to no avail. I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever alter, and I’m thankful for the meaning behind “Flyboy” tattooed on my right bicep. If you are ever in Biloxi, Mississippi, and need a chuckle, it’s called Dragons Den Custom Tattoo and it’s definitely within walking distance from the base.
Enjoy the ride!
