Growing up in 1980s Harford County, I knew of only two kinds of people who had tattoos – members of the military and members of rebel motorcycle gangs.
Back then, the faded blue and gray images were largely unrecognizable in shape or design. Any lettering had long since bled into an amorphous set of unreadable characters. Tattoos weren’t considered artwork as much as they were branding – an anchor on the arm, an eagle on the back, the initials of a long lost love on the shoulder. It wasn’t pretty, but it was still rare enough that neighborhood children gathered around to gawk when the local biker rolled up his sleeves to work on his hog. It was still ink injected into skin. It was a tattoo.
Today, ink is everywhere. It is becoming rarer, at least in my circles, to meet someone who has a body completely untouched by ink. It’s virtually a requirement for a musician or actor to have some sort of body art done before they reach stardom. There are magazines, reality television shows and web sites devoted entirely to tattoos, the artists who create them and the bodies who serve as the canvas.
Long gone are the days when inked arms were reserved for hardened criminals and punk rockers. Let’s face it, tattoos have gone mainstream and they’re spreading like wildfire through suburbia.
Forgive me if I’ve overlooked anyone, but at last count there were 13 separate tattoo parlors in rural/suburban Harford County.
Artistic Armor Tattooing– 3940 Conowingo Rd, Darlington
Doc’s Tattooz– 2122 Pulaski Hwy, Havre De Grace
Dominant Art Tattoo & Body Piercing– 3011 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood
Flaming Dice Tattoos– 4043 Federal Hill Rd, Jarrettsville
Flaming Dragon Tattoos– 3478 Churchville Rd, Aberdeen
Flesh Tattoo Company– 1716 Harford Rd, Fallston
House of Ponchos Tattoos– 4305 Pulaski Hwy, Abingdon
The Ink’s Inn Tattoo Shop– 358 Pennington Ave, Havre De Grace
Main Street Tattoo– 1812 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood
Manic Tattoos– 2821 Churchville Rd., Churchville
Precision Tattoo and Body– 1967 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood
Sins of the Skin and Iron Lotus Tattoo– 521 Pulaski Hwy, Joppa
Skin Images– 2003 Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood
To put that into perspective, there are only 12 high schools in Harford County – and that’s including the Harford Technical magnet school, the new Patterson Mill middle/high school and the Restoration Academy charter school. And there are only 11 branches in the Harford County Public Library system.
It’s the law of supply and demand. Right now Harford County residents would rather pay to have someone forcefully inject ink into their skin than take home a library book for free. And those numbers may be a big understatement. I’m not even going to delve into the world of those who scratch out an existence as tattoo artists working out of basements, garages and bedrooms.
If you studied the map, you might have also noticed that 7 of the 13 tattoo shops in Harford County have Pulaski Highway addresses. It seems as the adult video stores have been burning to the ground, the tattoo shops have been rising from their ashes.
So what’s really going on here? Why the proliferation of tattoo parlors? Seriously. I mean, there’s a spot on Route 40 in Edgewood where I swear you can see four tattoo shops at once.
For some answers, I ran the question past Chris Oppenheim of Manic Tattoos in Churchville. Oppenheim, who has seen the world from the wrong side of a set of prison bars, now looks out through the many windows of his fancy new tattoo shop on Route 22 in Churchville. In just a few years, he has turned his artistic skills into a profitable business that is finding success where it was formerly shunned – in middle class America.
Oppenheim, who lives in Baltimore County, said there are a number of reasons tattoo shops are fanning out from American cities and into the surrounding suburbia. For starters, many of the still-rural counties around Baltimore have never had to deal with tattoo shops before and don’t have any laws, regulations or even guidelines in the books on how to deal with a prospective shop opening.
When he approached the Harford County Health Department about what sort of licensing and permitting he’d need to open his tattoo shop, Oppenheim said they simply handed him a brochure to read over.
Here is what the Harford County Health Department says on the matter:
Tattooing and Body Piercing Facilities are NOT licensed by the HarfordCounty Health Department. The Health Department DOES investigate complaints in accordance with requirements outline in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 10.06.01. Additionally, all operators are provided a packet of information alerting them to pertinent regulations and responsibilities.
Please be advised that the three incorporated municipalities, Aberdeen, Bel Air, and Havre de Grace, have their own internal procedures and policies regarding tattooing and body piercing operations. The City of Aberdeen does not permit such operations within city limits. The Town of Bel Air has its own ordinance regulating tattoo and body piercing services. Approval must be obtained through the Town’s Board of Appeals. Please contact the Town’s Planning Department at 410-879-9500. The City of Havre de Grace requires potential operators to submit an application for a Use and Occupancy Permit through the City’s Department of Planning and Zoning. City officials may be reached at 410-939-1800 for more information.
Please click here to view the applicable regulations excerpted from COMAR 10.06.01: Communicable Diseases and Related Conditions of Public Health Importance
By contrast, here is what the Baltimore City Health Department requires before a new tattoo parlor can open:
How do I apply for a tattoo license? (If renewing, jump to step 4)
Step 1: The Office of Zoning Administrator, located at 417 E. Fayette Street, must approve a new tattoo business.
Step 2: Upon Zoning Board approval, apply for a Use and Occupancy Permit at the Bureau of Buildings, Division of Zoning, also located at 417 E. Fayette Street.
Step 3: Schedule a Health Department inspection with the Bureau of Ecology.
Step 4: Upon approval of a Health Department inspection, complete the Tattoo License Application, which includes registering all tattoo artists who will be practicing at the location
Step 5: Bring completed application and appropriate fee ($200 for a one year license, $100 for a temporary license) to the Customer Service Counter at 210 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore MD 21202, 2nd Floor.
Note: Licenses must be renewed every year.
So, essentially, it’s much easier, cheaper and quicker for someone to open a new tattoo shop in Harford County vs. Baltimore City.
Another reason for the influx of tattoo artists to Harford County might be clientele. Suburbia is where the money is and as tattoos become more culturally acceptable, it makes more sense for the ink artists to go to where the market is, rather than expect young college students to flock to the inner city for their body work.
But why are tattoos now considered the norm in society? Maybe it has to do with the fact that members of the ‘Baby Boomer Generation,’ famous for their free forms of expression and drug experimentation, are now the mothers and fathers of many of today’s twenty-something tattoo enthusiasts. Perhaps, given another decade or so, tattoo parlors will pop up in shopping malls much like the ear-piercing stations of the 1980s.
Oppenheim said another reason for the relatively recent increase in the popularity of tattoos can be attributed to the relatively recent increase in the artistic abilities of those who operate the needle. Not that old tattoo artists are learning new tricks, but that new inkers are taking pride in exhibiting the ‘art’ part of being a tattoo artist.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, try comparing a traditional tattoo from pre-1990s to some of the work being painted into bodies today. Rather than aiming for a showing of their artwork at a local coffee shop or studio, young artists are increasingly picking up the needle and letting their artwork flow out onto limbs and appendages as their canvas – a moving showcase of their work that lasts forever and brings in a little coin at the same time.
A 20-year-old girl would likely never associate with anyone with a crude anchor scratched onto their arm, much less get the same image inked onto their own body. But show them how a brilliant, multi-colored butterfly with flowers and raindrops would look on their shoulder, ankle or lower back and the same girl would gladly fork over the cash for the tattoo.
According to Wikipedia, the occasionally incorrect online encyclopedia relied upon far-too-frequently by journalists, a poll conducted online in July 2003 estimated that 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo.
The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (31%) and among Americans ages 25 to 29 years (36%) and 30 to 39 years (28%). Regionally, people living in the West (20%) were more likely to have tattoos. Democrats were more likely to have tattoos (18%) than Republicans (14%) and Independents (12%); approximately equal percentages of males (16%) and females (15%) have tattoos.
It doesn’t seem likely, even in this latest surge of tattoo acceptance, that Harford County’s ink market will allow for more than a dozen tattoo parlors to coexist in such a small area. But there are more people moving to suburbia every day and more kids being born every day (only 18 years until they can start filling up with ink).
Of course, there are also those people, myself included, who held out for years and never thought they’d see a drop of ink, other than newsprint, on their bodies. There’s a whole lot of pink skin out there and a whole lot of tattoo artists waiting to decorate it.
More tattoo parlors than high schools — nice. Check it out: http://www.bthesite.com/photos/photo_enlarge.php?iid=189
Brian, you’re crazy.
Nice….
I wonder if the younger generation can answer this question:
how much ink is too much ink?
Fun read Brian. I remember thinking I was soooo risque back in ’93 at age 16 when I told the tattoo guy I was 18 and got a quarter-sized butterfly on my ankle. My mother quite seriously almost had a coronary. She asked me what I was going to do when I was 30 and working in an office. I told her everyone would have them by then. (Ha ha mom.)
There are two more things that come to mind about the increase in tattoos: one, they are cooler and safer than they used to be. I mean, you don’t have to have a blurry eagle done in weird blue ink. Plus, it’s not the sketch guy in the back of a sailor bar doing it–or big Lou with a ball point pen and a needle.
But two, they are super-addictive. Ask anyone who has one…they are always planning their next one. I’ve heard stuff about the adrenaline rush and all that, and there’s probably something to it.
Bottom line: I think that younger generations are always looking for new ways to push the envelope and new ways for self-expression. And this is one of the things that (in the eyes of older generations) originally did both. Then when it becomes less shocking and more mainstream–they have to come up with something new. (God help us with our kids.)
My favorite is a KILROY peeking over a bikini …..!
Molly~ How much ink is too much ink? Great question. The ink can never run neth over! i have over 30 hours in the tattoo chair and my back isn’t even touched yet! Customizing oneself is a true expression of who you are. Some say it is dumb. i say, mind your business. Some ask, What would Jesus think? i say, Jesus had a tattoo. Read Revelations. The most popular questions are 1) WHY? and 2) Who did it? Well, i did it because i can, i love it, live it, and couldnt imagine myself without them. As far as who…some are better left unmentioned. And honestly, you don’t care. i thnk that people ask those questions to see if i sound as “tough” as i look. Guess what? i am covered in ink (long before it was cool and during a time when it was widley considered “white trash”) and i would help anyone with anything if i was able. i have more manners than most 50 year olds i know. Don’t get me wrong…the main difference between a person with tattoos and a person without is that the person WITH tattoos will kick your ass. Ink it up Harford County! BUT-OWN it.
Seeing Brian’s new ink, I am reminded of a summer intern we had who was so thrilled at getting his first byline in The Examiner that he had the eagle from our masthead tattooed across his chest.
While I have no objection to tattoos and I will admit that online news like The Dagger (and our spiffy new Examiner Web site, to shamelessly plug away) are the direction the industry is careening toward, is it necessarily wise to get a permanent symbol of a highly-mutable medium inscribed conspicuously on oneself?
Will our snotty grandkids ever scoff at how lame we were to be fiddling around with typing out blogs in the time before the Internet could be constantly linked directly to our brains by tiny, flexible microchips in our heads?
Or is it a sign of another factor in the growing tattoo industry — that one can get them removed or altered far easier nowadays, as well? What do the Dagger readers think?
When I was a young GI in Fort Lewis I had an American Eagle put on my chest and stomach. The only problem is that they used cheap ink and it all faded except his asshole.
Greeting’s Dave. never had a tattoo. no desire to have one. my finger print’s as well as your’s are resting in the f b i files.
I’am sure if we were found dead a long the road. they would not identify us with a tattoo.
Gary owen & semper -fi
Matt, Nice color scheme on the spiffy new Examiner.com. It looks familiar, but I can’t seem to place it 🙂
A little tip to pass on to your tech team. Check the site in firefox. Each section page falls apart. Same thing in IE6. Few other major glitches here and there.
I must commend you guys for shaking it up though. Not having article text on the homepage is a different approach. I really don’t know what to think about it, so I’ll be watching.
Melissa: damn girl- 30 hours you do own it! I’ll bet that’s a Harford County record.
Here’s my thing, I’ve always wanted one. I know what I want (baby O’s bird-the old mascot with a really cool and mean looking hat on- it kicks ass) and where I want it (either upper arm or my upper back) but I can’t bring myself to do it. Neil, my husand, is pretty much the same way. He actually made an appointment and then chickened out. Though he’ll tell you a different story. Our son (20) has gotten three and wants more. Some say it is addictive…others, like me, can’t bring themselves to the chair.
Food for thought- the cool little butterfly you get on your shoulder today will look like one of the California Raisins by the time you’re 50….
Hmmm, a summer intern at the Baltimore Examiner who was so thrilled with his first byline that he had the paper’s eagle logo tattooed on his chest?
It has to be Cubby Cahall you’re talking about. Or maybe Tyquarius Connor? Or maybe both – each with a single wing tattooed on his chest so when they stand arm-in-arm and shirtless, the striking image of the Examiner eagle is presented.
Anyway, I agree with Santoni and Dell about the relevancy and permanancy of tattoos. Maybe it’s time to introduce into the American lexicon the concept of ‘virtual tattooing?’
Virtual tattoo – n. a faux dermal pigmentation comprised of pixels rather than ink and scrawled by computer mouse rather than injected by needle.
Still, I’d much rather prolong the belief that I’ve completely lost my mind. Truth is, I’ve only partially lost it.
Molly~ DO IT!!!!
Dell~ i can’t wait till i’m 50 and one big ink blot! That’s half the fun….seeing what it turns into over the years.
A butterfly to a map of Florida ?
For all of you who like tatoos, please do some up-to-date research on some of the hazards before you proceed or continue with more tatooing. For example, medical researchers are concerned about the long term outlook on cancer and tatooing. When you have tatoos, the dyes migrate to your lymphatic system. During surgery, doctors report seeing multicolored lymph nodes. The medical community is concerned that over time there will be an increase in cancers since the dyes used are not FDA approved or tested for use in the human body. I know that tatoos have been around for years but some of the dyes used today have not and that is where research into the long term impact on the body is lacking. Also, there are reported incidences, though rare, of MRSA and even septic infections resulting in death. I hate to sound like someone’s mother, but I am. And being older, I can also tell you that what you like today you may regret later. So think long and hard about that tatoo. Be safe.
SZQ: I am someone’s mother too, in my 50’s, and I’m proud to say that I very recently went with my grown son when he got his first tattoos (daggers perhaps?) While there, I got an old, small tattoo of mine covered over with something bigger and better. I guess it remains to be seen about all the “rosebuds to raisins” as the years roll on, but I asked my tattoo artist the age of the oldest person he’s ever tattooed and he said a 77 year old female who got a rose on her leg. Her only regret was that she had waited so long. As for the ink/cancer theory, I recently had lymph nodes removed and they were of normal color even though I’ve had tattoos for several years. I don’t think having tattoos on my shoulder and ankle caused my breast cancer. I asked my surgeon about getting my old tattoo covered and all he told me was that I should get it before my lymph nodes were removed, due to the threat of infection with a repressed immune system. He also told me to wear mitts when removing hot items from the oven and to wear gloves when gardening. So I don’t see any more of a health threat getting a tattoo than with performing the above mentioned chores. I guess it is getting to be mainstream when trips to the tattoo parlor become family outings. And we are not some weird Woodstock family by any means. I’ve worked for Harford County Government for almost 20 years and both my sons (one tattooed, the other tattoo-less) are college grads with very white collar jobs. By the way, my husband hates the fact that I have “tainted my body” with 2 tattoos.
1 PROBLEM!!!
WITH THE LACK OF HARFORD COUNTY LICENSING WE HAVE SEEN SO MANY SHOPS RAN BY PEOPLE WHO DONT ACTUALLY TATTOO?
THEY HIRE UNSKILLED TATTOOERS WITH LITTLE OR NO TRAINING EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE DRUNK BUDDIES FOR THEIR PRACTICE SESSIONS AFTER VIEWING THE LATEST EPISODE OF “MIAMI INK”!
WHEN WE STARTED TATTOOING SOME 20 YEARS AGO , YOU NEEDED A LICENSE TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT, NOWDAYS . ANYONE CAN GO TO EBAY AND GET A STARTER KIT? ALSO NOTICE NONE OF THEM COME WITH A STERILIZER???
WITH THE INCREASED POPULARITY AND LACK OF LICENSING IN HARFORD COUNTY, PEOPLE ARE VENTURING INTO A RISKY AREA CONSIDERING THE PERSON IN THEIR SHOP OF CHOICE WHO WILL BE DOING THEIR TATTOO IS MOST LIKELY SOMEONE WITH LITTLE OR NO SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE AND USING SUB-PAR EQUIPMENT AND INKS.
I ACTUALLY STARTED FLAMING DRAGONTATTOOS IN HARFORD COUNTY IN 1990 AFTER A 3 YEAR APPRENTICESHIP. I MOVED BACK TO BALTIMORE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND I RUN A WELL RESPECTED AND TRUSTED TATTOO STUDIO. I RECENTLY MOVED TO ABERDEEN TO GET AWAY FROM THE CITY AFTER HAVING A CHILD AND WANTING CLEANER AND BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR HIM TO THRIVE BUT AFTER SEEING THE LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM IN HARFORD COUNTY I HAVE BEEN SICKENED BY WHAT IVE SEEN!!!
WHEN YOU COME TO HARFORD COUNTY DO NOT SHOP BY PRICE! SHOP FOR THE ARTIST! EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOU WILL SEE CLEAR WHO TO STAY AWAY FROM AND WHO TO TRUST!
AFTER ALL … IT “IS” YOUR LIFE WE ARE TALIKG ABOUT!!!
PEACE!
ITS WORTH THE RIDE TO GET A TATTOO YOU WONT HAVE TO HIDE!
Mr. Blades:
I think you’re right on in your assessment of the degradation in quality and consistency due to a surge in popularity of tattoos.
Does anyone know why it’s no longer required to have a license to purchase?
Another thing Billy, the obvious reason for the proliferation of tattoo shops, especially the under-qualified ones, is that there is such a huge demand to get inked.
Do you see this trend tapering off at some point? I’m not sure tattoos will ever go back ‘underground’ now that the moms and dads of tomorrow are thoroughly inked and their kids will grow up thinking tattoos are the norm.
But is there a chance, like rollerblades, break dancing or any other fad, that the popularity of tattoos could diminish, thereby putting most of the fly-by-night ink shops out of business?
I THINK PEOPLE WILL GET EDUCATED AND KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR!
RIGHT NOW , PEOPLE SEE A TATTOO STUDIO AND “ASSUME” THAT IT IS LEGITIMATE . THEY SEE A NEON LIGHT THAT SAYS “TATTOO” AND GO IN THINKING THAT THE PERSON GETTING READY TO DO THEIR PERMENANT MARK ON THEIR BODY HAS HAS TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE WHEN MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE GETTING SOMEONE WHO HAS A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM OR FOR SOME OTHER REASON “UN-EMPLOYABLE” BY NORMAL STANDARDS AND THEY AUTOMATICLY TRUST THEM ?
THE MAJORITY OF TATTOO SHOPS IN HARFORD COUNTY ARE A JOKE. UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE ARE TRUSTING THEIR LIFE TO AMATEURS!
IT TAKES YEARS TO LEARN THIS CRAFT AND THE ONLY WAY TO PROPERLY LEARN IS TO APPRENTICE UNDER A MASTER TATTOO ARTIST WHO CAN TRAIN YOU IN THE ART AND ALL THE NECCESSARY SKILLS SUCH AS .SKIN TYPES ,STERILE PROCEDURES , CROSS CONTAMINATION ETC!
TATTOOS WILL NEVER GO AWAY BUT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO LEARN SO YOUR KID DOESNT COME HOME WITH A DISEASE !
WE HAVE SAVED SO MANY LIVES TEACHING PEOPLE ,,,ESPECIALLY IN BALTO CITY WHERE THE BASEMENT/KITCHEN “TATTOO-PARTY” IS GAINING POPULARITY.
ITS HARD TO SIT BACK AND WATCH SOMETHING YOU LOVE GET WATERED DOWN . IN THE END,,, WE WE STILL BE HERE! I WAS DOING THIS LONG BEFORE IT WAS “COOL”!
WHEN PEOPLE GET INFORMED,,,THE FLY BY NIGHT SHOPS WILL NOT SURVIVE !
THIS IS A SPECIAL BUSINESS AND IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AFTER COMING BACK TO HARFORD COUNT ALL WE DID WAS FIX-UPS !
ON PULASKI HIGHWAY THERE ARE SO MANY SHOPS FIGHTING FOR A BUCK ITS ALMOST LIKE THROWING A STEAK INTO THE MIDDLE OF A PACK OF HUNGRY WOLVES!
THIS BUSINESS IS MORE THAN MAKING MONEY! WE HELP PEOPLE EXPRESS THEM SELVES ,,, HONORING THEIR PERSONALITY OR MAYBE A DEPARTED LOVED ONE AND THERE IS A SPRITUAL ASPECT AS WELL AS THE PERMENANT MARK. IT IS BEING WHORED OUT FOR A BUCK !
WE TURN DOWN 10 PEOPLE A WEEK LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE WE CANT HIRE SOMEONE THAT WILL SCREW UP OUR CLIENTS AND LEAVE US LOOKING BAD. THEY SHOW US THEIR WORK AND WE ARE SPEECHLESS! NOT IN A GOOD WAY EITHER!
MOST OF THEM WILL TELL US THEY LEARNED IN JAIL OR THEY ARE SELF TAUGHT AND THAT SENDS MAJOR RED FLAGS UP TELLING US THEY DONT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING BLUNT AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT BUT I SEE HORROR STORIES UNFOLD WEEKLY AND BY TELLING YOU AND YOUR READERS HOW IT IS ,,,MAYBE I WILL OPEN SOME EYES!
YOU CAN BUY A POLICE UNIFORM BUT THAT DOESNT MAKE YOU AN OFFICER,,,,YOU CAN BUY A STETHOSCOPE BUT THAT DOESNT MAKE YOU A DOCTOR,,,,YOU CAN BUY A TATTOO STARTER KIT BUT IT DOESNT MAKE YOU A TATTOO ARTIST!!!!!!
I’d like to meet Mr Blade and have him do my own tattoo…. I have been thinking about getting one for about two years now and I’ve seen my friends pay large amounts money for something that looked great when it was first done only to have it get an infection, lose color, or fade away almost completely. My cousin just got one on her foot and she got an infection…. She was put in the hospital for three days!!! That made me even more reluctant. Because she went to a “reputable” shop. So if possible put some contact info up for me or find me on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/91203309
@Amy, you want to meet Mr. Blade and get him to do a tattoo based on what he typed up on a blog? That’s charming but maybe a little too trusting. To each his own, but I myself am not entertained, impressed, nor shocked by anything anyone has inked on their person (except maybe if they had a monkey on their back, but that’s another story). I can’t help but see anyone getting tattooed today (other than military) as simply sheep following the flock and I have scads of better things to spend my money on. All too often I’ve seen folks drifting through Walmart dressed poorly with children in tow who appear neglected but they are sporting beautiful artwork. I suppose I just need help with my priorities.
NO one has EVER needed any licence or schooling to buy tattoo equipment! These have been advertised in biker mags and popular mechanics from the dawn of time the proof is easy to get! Why so many shops open in the county? Nobody really gives a damn what goes on out there, and the city is too scary! Wanna see whos good? Do a web search yeah, just like you found this. Look at porfolios AND what they say about safety. If you dont do your homework you deserve whatcha get! In 10 yrs I be LMAO at what junk people are getting looks like!!!!! Good goin turnin a PP interveiw into an ad!
As to the question of this “fad” dying out.. It’s never been a fad. Traditional peoples have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years, my tribe being one of them. I personally can’t wait to be COVERED in tattoos; ones that represent me. The two that I have gotten have been carefully placed for healing. I had a thistle done on my left forearm along my Ulnar nerve where I lost feeling when I was 9 years old after an accident. My feeling came back instantaneously while I was under the needle! Perfection for $20 in NYC. Yes, I said $20 and perfection in the same sentence. It can be done, people! My clan tattoo is also in a place that healing was needed.
I hope I can earn my clan tattoos for my chin when my time comes.