THE MEANING

MASTER OF MY FATE, CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL

About a month ago, I got this done from a true, gifted master. I Sat for 16-17 hours. For MANY years, I’ve put A LOT of thought & planning into this. The meaning behind it is deep, special (sacred), powerful & meaningful. I spent about a decade waiting patiently to find the right artist. & then I found him in Midvale, Utah @ the best & cleanest of all shops with some of the coolest guys around. Jroo is a master artist. This is part ONE of more to come with more deep meaning to go with it. Here I share the meaning & I am not ashamed of who I am or aspire to be...you shouldn’t be, either:

For me, I've been obsessed w pirates for the last 15 years. Not just, ,"Oh, they are so cool!!" Nope. It runs deeper for me. So much deeper. & this epitomizes people in history I have the honor to teach about & their respective feats. I love their general attitudes in the face of adversity & struggle. They improvise. They laugh. They embrace adventure. They look forward w a tenacity & fierceness. I've been described as a pretty intense & deeply passionate person, coach & teacher. These last 12 years, I've learned & grown in so many ways by all the things I've learned & observed. My whole life has been filled with transformative moments of deep impact. I could've been crushed by it or been inspired & empowered by it. I chose (& choose) the latter. When I am faced with a difficult situation or struggle, I choose to face it & beat it, scary as it is. My dad's death was hard. Way hard. That was the darkest moment of my life. But the fire inside of me & light within me made a conscious decision to shine & burn for others. For Kelly. For our kids. For my students who face really scary stuff. For my players. For people within religion who feel they don't fit or belong. My passion (like the flames that don’t destroy me on this piece) burns bright & strong to impact, inspire & empower the human family & that can be accomplished in so many ways. People also know NOT to anger me or mess with me. I truly am one of the kindest, gentlest, loving, real & empathetic people (like Kelly) but do not do things to harm others spiritually, emotionally, spiritually or physically.

PIRATE, for me, is an acronym:

P - Passionate (for things I deeply value & treasure...be ALL in...whether it's a project for my students, for the lacrosse team, for history, for Kelly & the kids, for my siblings or friends...be passionate about it!)

I - Innovative, Impactful & Inspiring (Creativity...find solutions; make a POSITIVE impact & difference; inspire EVERYONE on their journey...the people in my life are SUPPOSED to be in my life for a big reason..whether it’s for me to impact & inspire them or to be impacted & inspired by them)

R - Respectful & Real (reminds me to respect EVERYONE... everyone...everyone is a god or goddess in training & they deserve my utmost respect; also to be my authentic, real self...no masks...no facades)

A - Accountable (own my crap, learn & grow)

T - Tenacious (it's in the HORNE dna. The no quit mentality runs deep in us. Keep fighting. Face everything w a Tenacity that scares the crap out of the devil. I watched my dad do that. I watch kelly, my kids, my students & players do it. I aspire to it everyday as I battle anxiety, insecurity & panic. FIGHT).

E - Empower, Empathize & Excellence (a reminder to always aspire to excellence in anything I do. Good enough isn't good enough if it can be better. & better isn't good enough if it can be best. Be with others who sit in despair, insecurity or darkness & be WITH them, not judging, shaming, condemning, etc. & sharing whatever light I may have. Also empower others w my story. Everything I face is meant to help others. This is a reminder of that.)

This work shows me or, rather, reminds me of emerging from flames. From darkness. From trial. From struggle. & w a light & in the eyes & fierceness to impact, inspire & empower others. To lift. To be a light. To see the light in others & magnify that light. This tattoo is a reminder of those things. I sat for 17 hours getting this. Shocks most people when I tell them that, especially when they learn this was my first. The physical pain matches emotional, spiritual or mental pains I've experienced. Through all of it, something amazing & beautiful emerges. Something majestic & powerful. I won't be destroyed. I will rise victorious. & with me, like this pirate, I'll bring treasures, whether that's knowledge, $, goods, charity, love. I WILL bless the human race & earth. What I do in this life will echo into the eternities & I choose to make a powerful impact for GOOD. I will fight others persecuting other people & be there to help. That's what this art is. That's what this means to me. Like I said...Lots of thought!!! Yes, it’s cool, intense, powerful. & most people will see it & think that. But oh the meaning!!! Some may be scared by it but when they know the meaning, that will or should change.

#redefiningpirates
#notallpiratesarebad
#notjustanotherpirate
#notashamed
#thisisme
#inspiredartist
#moretocome

ANCHORED

This piece was completed in another double-day session during Spring Break 2019 by the ink-king, Winnie. I walked into the appointment thinking we would be going down the arm and doing a ship. I had mentioned to Jroo the significance of the anchor to me and when I walked in, I was ecstatic to see what he had created. Dong the inner bicep is painful and extremely tender. I had to mentally check out during much of this piece. I ate A LOT of starbursts, enjoyed a few Sweeto Burritos ("Buff Chick" with a ton of spice for the win!!!), and downed a lot of water and Kirkland Apple Juice (thanks Costco!). Why the anchor? Why the lightning? Why the storm?

First of all, the anchor. The anchor has a great deal of symbolism embedded in it. I love anchors. I love what they look like and I love what they do. When I look at this anchor, there are the letters "JC" that help form it. I study all religions. Most of them are beautiful and teach incredible, uplifting things. "JC" is a representation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is a very big deal to me. He is my true best friend. He keeps me anchored. He does not condemn me. He does not ridicule me. He does not shame me. He does not belittle me. He doesn't do that to any of us. Some religions use him in the worst possible ways and that is so sad to me...and to him, too. He loves all of us UNCONDITIONALLY. He teaches us to do likewise. To love. To have empathy for our fellow travelers to the grave and eventual kingdoms in the heavens that await us. The anchor, like Christ, keeps me grounded and reminded constantly to live as he did and live as he lives. To love as he did and love as he does. No matter what comes in life, as I am anchored in Him and His teachings and His example, I will weather all storms. There is nothing to fear. NOTHING. The rust on this anchor is a reflection of the FAITH USED in Christ. This anchor has been LOVED and USED. My faith in Christ is unwavering. It is USED. I trust him. In my darkest moments, I've had to root that faith deep into the seas with the chain, trusting fully that my ship will stay safe and that all these trials are "for my good, my growth, my development" so that I can become more like Him. An anchor is not meant to sit safely at harbor. It is not meant to stay permanently upon a ship. It is mean to get wet. To get rusted a bit. To serve its' purpose. On the anchor you will also find the letter "t", or the universal symbol of Christianity: The Cross. This reminds me of his sacrifice for ME. He sacrificed for ALL of us. But this piece of art is a reminder to me. He died, yes. But I also believe he rose again and still lives today, never to die again. A beautiful reminder to me that I, too, and all my loved ones (everyone reading this) will do likewise. Other religious figures and their teachings/examples like Moses, Abraham, Buddha, Mohammed, Laozi and Confucius can also correctly be applied to this anchor, too. Their teachings and examples are beautiful in their own right and ones I study OFTEN.

This anchor also has another symbolic meaning to me: Kelly. Kelly is my best friend, right there with Jesus. Where most people reject the idea of soulmates, Kelly & I have a bond that was forged A LONG TIME AGO. We know each other perfectly. Together, we are rooted, or anchored, in Christ. He knew of our bond before we came to this earth. In fact, He sealed it then. He promised us we'd be together. When I saw her, I knew she was the one. We have shared some of the most remarkable experiences together that have shown us who we were, who we are and where we're headed and it is all glorious and beautiful. This anchor reminds me of who I am anchored to in my heart: Kelly. I love her. Through all my storms, she has steadied me. &, like Jesus, when it's time to raise the anchor up to the ship to go on the next adventure, they are right there with me, every step of the way. In times of peace, in times of turmoil, in times of fun, in times of battle...they are there.
When I was little, storms terrified me. Lightning. Thunder. They terrified me. I'd always run to my parents room when the storms came. They shook me. There is a scene in Batman Begins wherein Bruce goes deep into the cave with the bats that terrified him and he OWNED the fear. When he confronted it, he realized there was truly nothing to fear and he made that his POWER. His STRENGTH. His IDENTITY. Over the course of my life, storms have stopped scaring me. I am no longer afraid of them. In fact, when they come, I run towards them and invite them to unleash more of their majestic power. My faith in God, Christ, my wife, and, perhaps most importantly, myself, have changed my relationship with the storms. I am the storm. Lightning has become majestic to me. Thunder has become music to me. On top of that, this storm surrounding the anchor and other portions of my tattoo pieces remind me of another acronym for THUNDER. When I took over the Westlake lacrosse program as Varsity Head Coach in 2017, I immediately instituted a set of values that we would "live and die" by in order to take us to an elite level of play. They became our THUNDER values. They are as follows:

T - Tenacity
H - Honor
U - Unity
N - Nice
D - Discipline (Extreme Ownership)
E - Excellence
R - Respect

These are CRITICAL values that the boys and coaches have bought into and that have completely transformed this program from excellent to ELITE. Thunder has great power. It can shake you. I have experienced the feeling of having thunder rattle my entire being and vibrate deep into the chambers of my soul. When it happens, I no longer feel scared. I feel empowered. I feel excited. I am on this planet to make an impact on the earth itself and the inhabitants therein. To empower all. Just like thunder does. This tattoo piece reminds me to do that. As I plan lessons for my students I'm reminded to do more to impact, inspire and empower my students. They need it. As I teach them to become the very best versions of themselves and help them to unleash their true selves in this beautiful world. To find their "songs" and sing those songs without fear or shame. As I coach my boys, they, like my students, need it just as much. As I plan family vacations it is the same. As I plan dates with my wife and kids, it is the same. This piece reminds me to be as thunder and lightning and make an impact. To empower. To light up the world. To be a light. To do exactly what the values outline above. I am driven by values, as my tattoos clearly show. As you've now read parts 1 and 2, there is a TON of overlap, and that is intentional. That is how I've planned this piece of art in collaboration with Jroo.

When you get tattooed, it is not something you should arbitrarily do or something that you do out of "rebellion" or spite or anger or bitterness. No, it should be thought out, planned out and deeply meaningful to YOU. What others say or think about it is none of your business because you have outlined the meaning and significance of it...and that is all that matters.

THE BLACK PEARL

In 2005, I finally saw what would become the most significant and impactful movie of my life: Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl. As I watched, I was deeply inspired by these pirates. But most especially with Jack Sparrow. He resonated deeply with me. His attitude towards life has become mine. He never complained. He saw adventure and opportunity in everything and this would be true in all the subsequent films. I love his character. In the movies, he talks about the Black Pearl, his treasured lost ship. Jack tells Elizabeth Swann the following about ships, but most specifically the Black Pearl: "That's what a ship is, you know. It's not a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is....what the Black Pearl really is....is freedom." And to me, that's what this ship represents. FREEDOM. Something that is a very big deal to me. When I saw the movies and all others after, the Black Pearl could not be destroyed. Just like freedom, it cannot be destroyed. In Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron are having this epic beat down at the end of the move. Megatron says to Optimus, "They (referring to humans) don't deserve to live." Optimus, in his star-spangled awesomeness, responds with, "They have the right to choose for themselves." I got goosebumps when I first saw it and still do to this day. It's powerful. AGENCY & FREEDOM are synonymous. That's what this ship represents. But this ship is incomplete. There is more to it. There is more to be added to it in terms of its' destination and that portion will be completed in July 2019. But, the ship and its' meaning is as follows.

Black has long been my favorite color. Every car I have ever owned and likely ever will own will be black. Black and gold. I love the two colors and how richly they complement one another. Black is often associated with darkness, distrust or evil. With Satan or the Devil. I get it. But that is not why I love this color. Black is also associated with mystery. For me, I am an enigma to most. I am VERY guarded with 99% of the world. I am mysterious. I don't allow many people to know much about me, even family. I am not, however, dark or evil. The opposite of black is white. White is often associated with purity, innocence, and light. I am, or at least try to be, qutie pure in my motives, intentions and motivations. The darker the black, the brighter the white. While I come off to many as a true bada$$ (and I can be when I need to be), I am actually one of the kindest, most tender men in the world. At least, I try to be. It is the yin-yang as taught by Laozi. I like to do things and go unnoticed. I like operating in the shadows and elevating others. I'm a teacher and a coach, after all. It's what we do. The world will little note or know what it is I do or accomplish except with what I leave behind in my journals where I outline all of it. My ship reminds me of this. It is in motion. It is moving. It is also shrouded in gold. Gold is associated with riches. With wealth. With knowledge. In my adventures, I have become very wealthy through my associations and learnings. The opposite color of gold on the spectrum is purple. One of our wedding colors. Purple, like gold, is associated with royalty, spirituality, transformation, enlightenment, and honor. These colors are beautiful and the gold adoring the ship on my arm represents all of the treasures I am acquiring during my sojourn in life. The Jolly Rogers flag, the skull and crossbones, reminds me that we all die, but not all of us truly live. So what does this mean to me? LIVE. LIVE FREE! And make the world BETTER everywhere I go.

This ship also represents ADVENTURE. I have been richly blessed to have MANY adventures. Not all adventures are pleasurable, either. You know when your car breaks down on your way to Disneyland? Or when your motor cracks in Arizona and you get stranded with your 5 kids at your parents house for a month because the repair job is a true manifestation of Murphy's Law? Or when you break ribs playing a sport? Or break bones trying to crop dust your brother and get thrown off a bunk bed? Yeah...all adventures! Or having kids. Getting married to your soulmate. Experiencing miracles. Meeting amazing people like students, their parents, athletes, or even amazing artists like Jroo, Fred, Vili, Lala, Zay, Levi, and their clients. All of these are adventures. I've been on many adventures and more await. And to all of them, I have the choice. The freedom to choose to get mad or get excited and simply laugh. Getting mad gets me nowhere. I know from experience. It makes EVERYTHING worse. And that's not why I'm on this planet. I'm here to experience joy in the good and bad. When my dad died, I embarked on a new adventure. It was very hard at first. Scary, even. But then I realized on this new adventure I had an amazing opportunity to get closer to my dad. And then I did. And still am. We get closer every day as I talk to him and get to know more about him. He listens to me. He is on the other side protecting and helping me and my family (including my siblings and their families and my mother) to THRIVE and be PROSPEROUS. This is my ship. I LOVE what Jroo has done with this and his creations. He is truly a magician, bringing so much meaning into these pieces of art than he can possibly realize. I give the idea and he goes 1000 miles deeper than I could have imagined. More to come!