Friday the 13th thank you from us to you!

It’s easy in today’s world to become jaded and cynical. Easy to stop believing in the inherent goodness of people in general, all we need do is watch the news or read the paper every day to have those beliefs reinforced. Easy to forget what it is like to see with the eyes of a child, when the world and the people in it were beautiful, amazing, and awe inspiring.

This past Friday the 13^th during our Tattoo-A-Thon fund raiser for Little Baby Ana, we were reminded over and over again, by each and every single person who walked through our door of the inherent goodness that we all possess and it was absolutely awe inspiring.

Over two hundred people graced us with their presence. The Mayor of Somerville, Brian G. Gallagher, accompanied by Rick St. Pierre, owner of Verve Restaurant & Bistro, even paid us a visit. The Mayor chatted with not just Tommy & Kate (the proud parents of Baby Ana) and Leah (owner of Artisanal Tattoo), but with those in the reception area and even those waiting so patiently outside. I would venture a guess that both men left there with a renewed belief in exactly what we can accomplish when we band together and exactly how much goodness there truly is in the world.

Even the Somerville Police Department paid us a visit, their sole purpose for being here to simply donate to the fund for Baby Ana.

I spoke with each and every person here on Friday the 13^th that was getting tattooed. Much to my amazement everyone I spoke to was here, not just to get tattooed but for the simple reason they wanted to contribute to the fund raiser for Little Baby Ana.

To all of you who waited so patiently. From the first three who were already waiting when I came in to start setting up at 9:30 am to the last five who made the cutoff at 7 pm and waited a good six hours to get tattooed. To the local Business owners and the residents of Somerville & those of you who stopped in to just donate, we thank you.

Thank you for being so patient and understanding. Thank you for being so generous and caring. Thank you for making this an incredibly successful fund raiser beyond what we envisioned.

Give yourselves a round of applause and a few pats on the back. It would be our honor and privilege to have you grace our doorstep again. Whether it would be to simply say hello or have a piece done by one of our incredible artists.

So…

Thank you from Leah, Kristin, Lou & Ryan (our four phenomenal tattoo artists – who now have a hand that might quite permanently be shaped to look like it’s holding a tattoo machine!).

Thank you from our meet and greeters, Rob (who might be a little hoarse from having to speak louder than normal) and Michele (ß-me - who if my feet were tires would have had to buy a new pair the next day because the treads were worn out).

Thank you from Tommy and Kate (two amazing people and proud parents).

And finally Thank You from Little Baby Ana who will grow up knowing that there is and always will be people in this world who are inherently good and can inspire even the most jaded and cynical among us to believe again.

The Staff of Artisanal Tattoo