So, I’ve just received the second piece of art to be put permanently on my skin.
Uncle Josh with Lost Dutchman Tattoo put it there. Wonderful artist, great guy, a delight to work with. Go buy his art, both on your skin, and on paper.
Behold, Wesley Crusher. Let me explain
(also, its 12 hours old. and a bad angle on my shoulder. I’ll update the pic in a week or so) (okay, so i never updated it. I need to get some touchups done first)
TNG was a big deal in my house. Both of my parents were Trekkies of one level or another. My dad came home early for the premier. Mom made steak, potatoes (loads of sour cream) and steamed veggies. I think broccoli. Interestingly enough, this is the meal I make for big deal events to this day, including the last two Mother’s Days in a row for my wife.
It opened and… it was amazing. I still recall my father yelling at the screen during the credits. “It’s no MAN. MAN!” But, TNG was a shared experience. One of the VERY few good memories I have of my father. And then… Wesley showed up. My father was firmly in the Crusher Hate camp, from moment one. “A kid? On the bridge? Fuck no.”
Me? I had an idol. A role model. Here was a kid just like me, but better. Smart as a whip, creative, and he knew it. And when he was right, and the adults were wrong, he didn’t sulk. He did what he knew was right anyways, and proved himself. It changed a lot of my philosophy on life, and I took after him quite a lot, doing the things I knew was right and knew would fix a problem, even when the adults would roll their eyes and tell my why I was wrong. I got emotional when he finally made it to the Academy. And the episode with him getting booted, and definitely gone, never to be seen again until the finale? Shook me to the core. He was my adopted big brother, who happened to live in space.
Years later, a good friend got me into Radio Free Burrito. For those who don’t know. That’s Wil’s podcast. I started listening, and reading his posts various places. Wil got me into Fark, which had a profound impact on my early adulthood. (I won’t say for good or ill.) And I grew to admire the actor as a person as well as his character. And one of his works that struck me deep was his monologue on how William Shatner became William “FUCKING” Shatner. If you aren’t familiar, then stop.
Back? Okay, i hunted down the dialogue, found the right episode. The dialogue he relates doesn’t exist. Probably got chopped. But the picture used for this tattoo? Came from the same set, same type of scene, if it wasn’t filmed as part of it, it was probably later the same day. This picture comes from a scene he filmed some short time after being EMOTIONALLY DESTROYED.
You know what? Take any 10 scenes from the entire season. Ask anyone, which one is Wil obviously upset and not able to focus during? No one will know. You can’t tell. Because even as a kid, “emotionally compromised” , he got up on stage, and DID HIS FUCKING JOB.
And that’s always been a part of my philosophy too. You have a job to do? Do your fucking job.
So now I have an Ensign Angel on my shoulder. He’s there for three reasons. Remember to always do the right thing, no matter the naysayers. Listen to the kids, as a grown up, I’m now the naysayer, and I shouldn’t be.
And no matter what shit you’re going through in life, if you have a job to do, you get up on stage and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB.
Thanks Wil. It’s good to know you always have my back.