Thinking of Inking? How to Choose the Right Tattoo

I’d been thinking about a tattoo for years. Not the sidekick on Fantasy Island who didn’t say much, but some ink that really said something. So when my daughter Birdie offered to get one with me as a Father’s Day gift, how could I possibly refuse? But how to choose the right tattoo?

I’d spent days…weeks…years actually, imagining what tattoo to get. I’d concepted and sketched dozens of options. Even had my art director friend Gene illustrate a few possibilities with skulls and fire and such. In the end, I settled on something simple and meaningful to me. An ampersand. The “&” sign. I’ve always been fascinated with typography and writing and punctuation, and the ampersand has a great history. It’s an ancient ligature combination for the letters “et,” the Latin word for “and.” While the exact date of its first appearance is unknown, the symbol appears in graffiti on the walls of Pompeii where it was preserved there in 79 AD!

So basically it’s a long-ago logo for “and.” Also, I was at a point in life where I found myself frequently asking the Universe, “And now what?” Put all that together and “&” made a lot of sense.

My own Ampersand brand.

So the subject was decided. But which freakin’ font?? There are so many type styles and shapes of ampersands. Should I get the backward S or the swirly E? I investigated hundreds of fonts for one that spoke to me. Finally found a beautiful ampersand in the Fette Fraktur font that flowed like music and water and time. Its graceful lines even reminded me of pink breast cancer ribbons, a loving reminder of my mom.

We met early on that Father’s Day Sunday for some outdoor yoga in Franklinton. To get our zen on before we get our tattoos on. We’re both avid cyclists, so before going under the needle we pedaled to Brewdog in the Short North for some liquid courage. Amped and ready to ink, we headed to the legendary High Street Tattoo.

Birdie went first, getting a state of Ohio outline on her calf. A competitive trail runner, marathoner, triathlete and Ohio State grad, she was excited to show off her Buckeye Pride for folks to see as she sprints past them. Didn’t hurt too bad she said. When she was done I jumped in the chair, ready to turn my arm into a human canvas. A short time and a few tingles later, it was done.

…& the rest is history.