How to Fix a bad Tattoo

In 2001 it became legal in the State of Massachusetts, to get a tattoo. Before the law was overturned, getting one in the Bay State, could result in a year in jail or a $300.00 fine.

Long before Tattoos were the big business they are today, ‘body art’ was primarily a diversion for Sailors, Soldiers and Marines and the occasional Tattooed Lady in the circus.

During the 1950s and 60s, many a young man from the Boston area, returned from military service sporting a variety of colorful hearts, daggers, snakes, or other popular designs.

But not my friend, Jim. A hard core Marine, by way of Paris Island and Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, he came back to the Bay State with just one tattoo. It reflected how he felt about life. It mirrored the things going through his mind.

In large, black letters about an inch and a half high, on his right arm, was one word - consisting of four stark letters:

................................................................"H A T E"............................................

Jim carried that HATE with him for years - on his arm and in his heart. HATE peeked out from beneath the sleeve of his tee shirt. At the beach his HATE dominated the conversation.

He married a lovely girl and became the parent of a son and a daughter. Their love washed away all the anger and hate from his heart - but not from his arm.

The HATE screamed at him every time he changed his shirt or took a shower. It got so he would never wear a short sleeve shirt. He no longer could go to the beach in Rockport, Massachusetts, that was just a few miles from his house.

He didn’t even want his wife to see the HATE. Covering it with a bevy of bandages helped, but was not the answer. Jim wanted to remove the HATE. He had heard that doctors could scrape off old tattoos but he had no money for that….not with a wife and kids.

After eight or ten beers, he even considered lopping off the arm, and throwing away the bloody stump with the HATE on it.

Finally he thought of the solution.

“Now that tattoos are legal in Massachusetts,” Jim theorized, “I can simply go to a parlor and get a new tattoo.”

“What are you talking about?”, his wife wondered.

“You’ll see,” Jim said secretively. “Saturday, I’m going to a tattoo parlor in Gloucester and when I get back, the HATE will be gone. Honey, call everybody. All the family and all the friends. Tell them we are going to have a party Saturday night. They can see for themselves.”

The unveiling took place as promised, amid dozens of loved ones eating from plates piled high with Ziti and meatballs. Homemade wine was flowing freely as Jim made his announcement……….

“Friends and relatives, thanks for coming tonight. You all know that I have carried 'HATE' on my arm for decades….but it is gone.”

With that, he removed his shirt and showed a right arm that had two new words……one above and one below the 'HATE' ….......

The two new words were: (I) and (TATTOOS)

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So with the addition of the new words, Jim’s arm read

..........................................I..................................................................................

......................................HATE........................................................................

..................................TATTOOS...........................................................................

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