The Tattoo
My high School Days, Junior Year of Sinton High School. Jon, Tony, Steve, Sonny, and Mike. What a Team.
Mom and Dad did not like that I hung out with these guys, but I like them had a bit of a rebel spirit in me. Jon being the oldest and a year or two ahead of us all would be classified as the ring leader, so to speak. Jon and Tony were both drummers in bands, Steve played some guitar, and Sonny and I were just cool. I suppose what initial brought me into this group was the close friendship I had with Tony Dunlap. He had transfered from Ray High School in Corpus Christi to Sinton High School his Junior Year. He was a clear spirit and above all the cliched groups that prevade though out high schools then and now. I suppose for lack of a better word, we were considered “,Rebels” because we did not follow the norms, within the confides of Sinton, Texas, during the late 1960’s.
Back to the Tattoo. One Friday evening were cruising toward Corpus Christi, Texas, when Jon says something to the affect of, “Hey, guys in another year or two we will all probably be going in different directions.” Although we would not have thought so then, looking at the reality of it all, we all sadly agreed. Pulling over to a Maverick Market just before the Bay Bridge, we all went in and got some snacks, drinks, and cigarettes, some of us paid, some did not. Standing around Jon’s 1966 Ford Station wagon, and wolfing down our treats, Jon continued to say, that there was away we would never forget one another.
We all agreed that if there was a way it would be cool. So he suggested we all get this tattoo of an ancient Druid symbol, which represented the masculine polarity of the universe, he had seen in a book, and thought was neat. We checked the drawing he had made of it, and agreed it looked a bit odd like a circle with horns, so we then thought what about a similar shape but more like a bulls head. We all agreed.
So, piling in the car we took off ending up, under the Corpus Christi Bay Bridge, which at that time was a pretty rough place to be. Anyway we find this Tattoo parlor, and go in and ask the guy how much it would cost to have this bullshead tattooed about the size of a dime tattooed on top of our our ankle bone. He indicated that having it there would be difficult for it to heal properly, and so we agreed to have it just above. Jon, was first to have it done, while the rest of us waited anxiously. Then Tony, Me, Steve and Sonny, we all had it done, in turn. We all agreed not to brag or show it off in any manner.
The next summer I was sitting in an easy chair in my cutoffs (old levis with the legs cut off to form short pants), next to my Dad in the living room of our house off of 221 South McCall. My Dad, looked over at me a couple of times, and I noticing, asked innocently, “What?” He replied, “What the hell is that !!”. To which I answered, “A Tattoo.”
Well to make a long story short my Dad went OFF, and for days on end he would call me all kinds of things, none of them related to me being smart, not to mention the few “swell” things, that he called my friends.
This was in 1966, and the only people with tattoos seemed to be service men and rough necks. Nothing like the trend as it is today, tattoos are common place, then it was not, but others wild and rebellious young men and women from my high school, and the surrounding area followed us in our wicked ways, and got tattoos, too.
Note that no one got the same tattoo or in the same place that we had. Why? Because we told everyone we would cut their foot off above the anckle if they did. :-)
And yes, truly yes, I think of my high school “gang” even to this day. And although they are others I considered true friends, and just as thankful for having them, such as Evans, David, Billy, Jimmy and Jimmy. I want to Thank, Jon, Tony, Steve, and Sonny for being my friends, that evening under the Bay Bridge of Corpus Christi and being with me forever.
“And Hey !” Jon, and Tony, even though, both of your stars burnt out quickly, and you have moved on to better things, I know you can hear me. To Sonny, and Steve I truly hope all is “Groovy” and know too, that I have crossed your mind as I finish this brief glimpse into our lives, where ever you guys are.
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© Texas Tortilla Factory 2006