It's so awesome! I've been listening to this virtually non stop for days now. Its lyrics brought back inspiration when I thought I was finished with drawing and wouldn't pick up my pencil again for anything but historical research. I think God knew this was coming because a few days before I found this song my mom sent me a package with a drawing tablet and a pack of my favorite pencils: Dixon Ticonderoga black number 2s. Then I heard this song and remembered how much I love drawing tattoos. Many of the lyrics spoke out to me and I decided to design tattoos for different parts/people in my life. The lyrics that inspired the tattoo I want your input on is the one that go:
this one's for the man that raised me
taught me sacrifice and bravery
and
this one's for my family name
with pride I'll wear it to the grave
I grew up in a small town of 8,000 people, a county of 30,000. I only knew one guy who was Irish, and I only assumed I was Irish. My family has been in America since before the Revolution, and though Hale is an Irish name, and I have an Irish temper, and I have red hair in my beard, and I like whiskey, and I love mandolin and bagpipes, I never had any real proof of my heritage. When I moved to Boston, I had a Boston Irish coworker recognize me as being Irish and confirm that I fit the profile to a T. I can't even begin to explain how cool that was. Hence the Celtic/Boston theme of the tattoo.
There are two men in my life whom I consider to have raised me. Growing up, my dad was never around much so it fell to my big brother Eric and my Pastor Larry to teach me morals and impart wisdom onto the confused and angry kid that I was. I chose the Celtic Cross for Larry, and the words around the edge for Eric. The cross as a compass and the points are for both of them.
When I left Humboldt, Eric gave me a little black Moleskine guidebook of Boston. I carry this with me everywhere, and even though I don't need it as much as I did, it has helped me find places I wouldn't have otherwise been able to get to. In the very front of the book he wrote a Celtic blessing that I placed around the edge of the cross. It goes something like this:
May the Everlasting Father Shield You
East and West Wherever You Go
In the last conversation I had with Larry, he reminded me to remember that God led me here and to continue using him as a compass when times got tough. I almost forgot that a number of times, but I had help remembering. Because of Eric's blessing, and Larry's words, I wanted to make the cross as a compass with the four directions. The cross is the Everlasting Father as my compass and Shield, and the four points for east and west wherever you go. The letters of the compass are written in the font of the Boston Red Sox. I chose this font for several reasons. One is the color. I want the whole thing to be black except for the NSEW and the rose in the middle, all of which will be red. Another is implied in the lyric
taught me sacrifice and bravery.
Moving to Boston took the most courage and required more sacrifice than anything at this point in my life. I could not have done it without the encouragement and the lessons of sacrifice and bravery I learned from Eric and Larry.
The rose in the middle is a tribute to the song that inspired me. Plus, I really like tattoo roses and finally found a way to get one without it looking weird or feminine.
So here it is, as done as it's going to get for now. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to send them to me.
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