Rebuilding Rob

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2026 Update: The Persistent Itch

February 202

It’s been nearly two years since I first sat down to catalog my “tattoo virginity,” and as I stare down the barrel of my 1,000-day journey, the canvas remains remarkably blank. I still haven’t found a sudden love for needles, and my commitment to the “100% Policy” usually applies to people and projects, not ink.

However, looking back at this post, one thing hasn’t budged: that Old English D. As I continue rebuilding with intention, I still find myself thinking about that logo. If I ever do decide to trade the “Audacity of Potential” for a permanent mark, that’s the one that would lead the charge. Until then, I’m still moving slowly, still ink-free, and still weighing the cost of the “crumpled paper” future.

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I am just four weeks shy of my 50th birthday and this far, I have managed to stay ink free. It’s not that the idea hasn’t crossed my mind. Far from it. There have been a few things I’ve wanted to get tattooed on my body, but they’re have been a few mitigating factors that have prevented me from doing so:

I hate needles

I don’t like pain, unless I’m really in the mood to torture myself. I fact, I hate it. I like to avoid pain at all costs, save the expense of my loved ones. So I don’t willingly like the idea getting poked with needles. It’s not even the little bit of blood that comes with getting a tattoo; that I can handle. I don’t like getting blood drawn. I don’t like getting shots. I just don’t like getting poked with sharp, metal things. I would be the world’s worst heroin addict; because shooting up would be a deal-breaker for me.

Tattoos are (more or less) permanent

Call it commitment issues if you’d like; after all, my marriage didn’t last forever either. But another reason that I have held off on getting a tattoo is that they stay with you FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. I know, there’s laser technology that people have used to remove tattoos. But burning off your skin with a laser sounds eve worse that a needle, which takes me back to reason number one. But along with tattoos being permanent, what will they look like when I get older? I doubt I will keep my relentlessly mediocre looks forever. Eventually my skin will get wrinkly; then droopy as I begin to lose body weight with age. Would tattoos look like they’re on a crumpled up piece of paper? No thanks

What if your tattoo artist just isn’t any good? It’s not like they can erase and start over again? The Instagram account worst of tattoos features…really bad tattoos.

What I WOULD get

In spite of all of these compelling reasons, Still occasionally think about getting inked. IF I were to do so, here are my top five choices, in no particular order:

• A picture of my dad – this is something I’ve strongly considered since he passed
• The Detroit Tigers Old English D logo – I’ve been a Tiger fan for as long as I can remember, and I don’t see that ever changing
• Something about my sons – something in reference my boys. Their names, their dates of birth; but not necessarily pictures of them
• Batman – my all-time favorite superhero and something of a personal spirit animal
• A meaningful quote or expression – my first choice would be “Fortune favors the bold”. Famous quotes are a type of tattoo I could see myself becoming addicted to. My fear of that would be looking like Robert DeNiro’s character in Cape Fear

What kind of tattoo would you get? Where would you want it?

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• A Quick Saturday “Thank You”
• The Midnight Inspection
• Rob reviews: Star Trek Starfleet Academy, episode 3 “Vitus Reflux”
• Lost in the 900: 100 Days to the Finish Line
• Rob Reviews: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 7 – “Ko’Zeine”

AI art created with Google Gemini

The article “Losing My tattoo Virginity” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.