Tattoo Jews Pt.1 Gangsta Soprano

When my dad, Mason Kaintock, went to the bone yard, he left me, his only son, a wooden box of memories. I really have not looked at it much, in fact it's in Hill River now. I am pretty sure there is a pistol in there. There is one piece which is with me and I wear it most of the time.
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It's a thick gold rope chain with a chunky contemporary Chai medallion. Chai which means "life" comes in the form of the
hebrew letter "chet". Not only is it popular with jewish men, but black baptist brothers too. I am not so sure that it isn't mistaken for a horse most of the time. This necklace's girth wouldn't shame a regionally famous gansta rapper.

My grandmother gave it to Dad after his six bypass heart surgery back when in 1982. As my Dad's girlfriend will say, he liked to wear it. I actually have more memories of it sitting on a table after Dad would go to sleep. Every night,there was always a big pile of his stuff...necklace, his father's high school ring, change, a well worn brown leather wallet and an apple core that resembled a holocaust victim.

Whether I am wearing it or not, I am comforted by its presence. On the other hand sometimes the combination of the necklace, the 25 grief pounds sitting at my waist, the Austin Power like chest hair style and my not so concidental fondness for nylon adidas warm-up pants sometimes make me feel like a two bit extra on HBO's Soprano.

I am now looking at a more permanet and personal tribute to my Dad. A tattoo. Most jews put tattoos and suicide at the same level. Jews love to elevate the mundane to the hysterical. In fact, it is commonly believed that one cannot be buried in a jewish cemetary with a tattoo, while concentration survivors get a by for their nazi numeric imprint.

I have a grand plan to get the tattoo on my Dad's first yartzheit. I figure that I will research the topic, get some opinions, sit with the idea for a few months and then make my own decision.

After, I learned that a tattooed one could be buried in a jewish cemetary...I looked for the bible portion which details this sin against G-d's gift. You will find it in Leviticus. There are a bunch of shoulds and should nots listed.

To Be Continued...

kaintock