Posted on July 8, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Why? Why not.

 

I got a tattoo.

There. I’ve said it.

Guess what? I’m not the first person in their 60’s to get one so it’s not a big deal. As a matter of fact, according to my tattoo artist, older people are becoming one of the fastest growing segments of the population deciding to fling off the shackles of giving a crap, and adorning their bodies with art that in some way represents who they are.

So when did I have my epiphany and decide to become a rebel?

It really started 8 years ago when I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time. I really wanted to get a tattoo so that I could inflict more pain on my body, as if I hadn’t already done enough on the 42 kilometre run from Hopkinton to downtown Boston. For some reason that I can’t explain, I decided not to proceed with a discreet Boston Marathon tattoo on my lower leg.

During the month of May, I walked across Spain. I completed the Camino putting one foot in front of the other over a million times over 713 kilometres. At the end of a long day on the trail, I was sitting in a bar with fellow walkers. No doubt we were talking about our blisters. The guy to my left was sporting a Camino tattoo and in that instant my mind was made up to get one exactly like this when I got to the final destination in the city of Santiago de Compostela.

Several days later, in the village of Hontanas, I found myself once again drinking beer. A group of us were out on the patio of a bar soaking up the sunshine after what had been a fairly cool day on the Camino. There was Clementine from France, Lily from Russia, Noah from the Western Sahara, Jordi from Barcelona and Rami from Finland. I loved these kind of encounters meeting interesting people and hearing their life story.

I believe it was on our second beer that I told Rami about my tattoo plan. I didn’t ask him his age. It’s not polite to ask a man his age (!) but I’m guessing he was in his 60s. He immediately toasted me and said that he would also get a tattoo when he returned home. A pact was consummated at the bottom of glass #2.

Aleksandra Ferek is a young woman from Poland. She is a lawyer and an architect. I walked with her on a couple of occasions. After mentioning my tattoo idea, she said that she would design a Camino tattoo that reflected who I was. By the time I reached Santiago de Compostela, the destination city, I was anxious to immediately get the tattoo done before my courage wavered. I had been given the name of a reputable tattoo shop. My walking partner for the last two days of the Camino, Virginie from France, accompanied me. After chatting with the tattoo artist, I decided not to get it done there. Virginie didn’t like the feel of the place.

So, I put the idea on hold and reckoned that getting it done back home made sense on many levels.

I asked around and was given the name of Sean Brophy, a local tattoo artist with an excellent reputation. I had an initial meeting with Sean to discuss the process. I found him very engaging and sincere. I was so taken with him that I published a story about his life. https://www.week45.com/faces-in-the-crowd-making-an-impression/

On June 26^th, I got my tattoo. I can’t lie. I found it painful but this kind of pain is temporary. The tattoo is permanent!

Let me briefly explain the tattoo. The primary feature is a scallop shell which is the official symbol of the Camino. This goes back centuries and there are several theories on the significance of the shell. Most of them have their basis on religion and the proximity of Santiago de Compostela to the ocean. The figures of the hiker and the musician are self- explanatory to anyone who knows me. The word “ultreia”is believed to have been used by medieval pilgrims who walked these same paths centuries ago. It means to keep going or reach beyond, a word of encouragement to fellow travelers.

Not everyone is a fan of tattoos. I would hardly consider myself a raging proponent of them now that I have joined the “rebel” class. But like so many things in life as I age, I just refuse to get my knickers in a knot about things that are just not all that important. I received one private message from someone who saw the picture of me and Sean in the story I posted. This person seemed to think that I was somehow grandstanding and trying to draw attention to myself. I thanked him for his comments and told him that I was respectful of his opinion. But I couldn’t leave this alone and replied to him that I was a) simply having some fun; b) I wanted a reminder of one of the greatest experiences in my life and c) that I wasn’t trying to be cool. I am far too old to be considered cool. Cool rhymes with fool. I’m just an old fool having a bit of fun.

On the very same day that I received my badge of honour, some 6,242 kilometres away in Finland, Rami got his tattoo. We shared pictures and some laughs. We hope to meet again someday.

Thanks to my dear Polish friend, Aleksandra for creating my tattoo.

“I am a canvass of my experience. My story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach.” Kat Von D.

One out of four ain’t bad. I’ll stick to one tattoo for the time being!

Have a great week.

 

Rami’s tattoo

Posted on July 4, 2019 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

 

“I’m happy to be a good dad and a good husband. I am content that I have been able to create a comfortable and rewarding life for me my family.”

Meet Sean Brophy.

Sean was born in Stellarton and has one sibling, a younger brother. His parents separated when he was 12 years old. “This was very hard on me. I found it very tough to navigate.” His father, a nurse, relocated to Houston, Texas and Sean ended up moving with him. Going from Stellarton to downtown Houston was another traumatizing experience for a small town boy. After one year, his father moved to Huntsviille, Texas.

His high school years were filled with sports, drama, plays and art. He didn’t find the academics challenging and so, on the cusp of finishing high school, he fast tracked and received his GED.

Using a fake ID, he got his first tattoo. At the time, tattoos were taboo and anyone having one was considered a bit of a rebel. His soccer coaches commented that he wouldn’t amount to anything. His dad wasn’t happy either despite that fact that HE had a tattoo himself!

After completing his schooling, it was time to head back to Canada as he could no longer remain in the U.S. A 66 hour bus ride from Texas took him into the bowels of the central bus station in downtown New York where, for three nerve wracking hours, he hung out with the freakiest people he had ever met. When his bus for Bar Harbor arrived, they all got on the bus with him.

“I had no idea what I was coming home to.” He spent a summer with an uncle picking strawberries and decided that he needed to pursue a career.

An earlier experience in Houston may have foreshadowed his career path. He volunteered to work for two weeks on an ambulance. On his very first shift, we witnessed and help perform CPR on a man who subsequently died of a stab wound that he received while in prison.

He eventually earned a certificate from Holland College and became a paramedic. Sean describes his career as intense. Besides full time work in his chosen field, he was also involved in the union, the volunteer fire department and search and rescue.

He got married in 2000 and has two children.

“I loved my work and felt that I was serving my community. I had a sense of self- worth.” But that all changed as witnessing trauma for so many years resulted in post- traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.  ”I was in a very dark place.” He was forced to stop working and was unable to work at anything for two years while getting treatment.  He spent the better part of six months in his bedroom.

He always viewed himself as “Sean the paramedic.” He wasn’t educated for another occupation but he realized that returning to his chosen profession was not an option. “Who am I going to be now,” became the pressing question. While waiting to receive Worker’s Compensation, the family lost their home and life savings trying to stay afloat.

Over the years, he had been getting more tattoos and he started doing artwork for tattooists. His good friend and renowned tattoo artist, Jamie MacKay invited Sean to apprentice with him. A year and a half later, Sean struck out on his own and he has never looked back.

He still deals with PTSD every day of his life. He started doing jiu jitsu four years ago which has helped him immensely.

His greatest joy these days is his family. “We sit down and have dinner together every evening. It is a chance to stay connected.”

Sean continues to leave his mark as a gifted artist and tattooist. His has left a lasting impression on many people in North Eastern Nova Scotia (including the author!)  but none more so than his wife ,Tanya and his children, Morgan and Erika.

 

 

Posted on July 1, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Happy Canada Day from Week45