Forever in Ink

Richard Cohen waxes philosophical today, declaring that Americans with ink in their skin are – if I’m following him correctly – delusional losers.

The tattoo is the battle flag of today in its war with tomorrow. It is carried by sure losers.

I asked a college professor what she thought of tattoos, and she said that for young people, they represent permanence in an ever-changing world. But how is that possible? Anyone old enough and smart enough to get into college knows that only impermanence is permanent. Everything changes — including, sweetie, that tight tummy with its “look at me!” tattoo. Time will turn it into false advertising.

Generalizations, of course, are dangerous in the best of circumstances. Check out the picture to the left. (You can click on it for a full size image.) That photo is actually a picture of my own left arm taken today, July 22, 2008, while preparing this article. If there is anything remarkable about it, it is surely that the ink in question was applied in the dead of night in a small shack off the docks in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the summer of 1978, within sight of the U.S.S. William C. Lawe. I got it, along with a number of other men from my division, while we were out on liberty in that city. I freely admit that the bicep where it resides is far less impressive than it may have been back in the day, but the ink has held up pretty well for thirty years, no? It’s the United States Navy “Screaming Eagle” and I’ve never once regretted getting it, nor am I ashamed of it today. Yes, the edges have gotten a little blurry over time, but it’s still pretty clear to me what it is.

I do, however, understand what Cohen is saying in terms of Americans’ tending to live for the day and the future be damned. This part in particular is excellent food for thought.

The permanence of the moment — the conviction that now is forever — explains what has happened to the American economy. We are, as a people, deeply in debt. We are, as a nation, deeply in debt. The average American household owes more than its yearly income. We save almost nothing (0.4 percent of disposable income) and spend almost everything (99.6 percent of disposable income) in the hope that tomorrow will be a lot like today. We bought homes we could not afford and took out mortgages we could not pay and whipped out the plastic on everything else. Debts would be due in the future, but, with any luck, the future would remain in the future.

It’s a valid point, and a good reminder to the youth of today. The future, unfortunately, never remains in the future forever. The old tale of the grasshopper and the ants comes to mind. The bills always come due, so it’s wise to keep them in mind before taking them on. But Richard, your tattoo analogy is inked up on the wrong paper.