Who Knew Adam Levine and Wal-Mart Had so Much in Common?

What do Adam Levine (lead singer of Maroon 5) and Wal-Mart have in common? Quite a lot and it has nothing to do with shopping. Actually, I’m not sure where Adam Levine shops (he may go to Wal-Mart) but follow while I connect the dots and I’ll show you the picture….an “inked in” picture at that.

 Last week, I scored tickets to the Maroon 5 concert in D.C. with seats so good, I could almost see Adam Levine’s tattoos. The music was great…. opening with “Payphone” and closing with “Moves Like Jagger”. (No one seemed to care that both payphones and Mick Jagger are now practically antiques)...

The night was all about the music… well, almost all about the music.  In the section with my seat (don’t know why the term “seat” is used because no one sits at these concerts), it was all about Adam Levine. The crowd went wild every time he and his tattoos moved towards their side of the stage. And boy did he move.  For those who can’t get to D.C. or don’t want to devote the time and mental anxiety of getting online tickets, you can catch him on television’s “The Voice” or on You Tube videos but  if you’re looking for a close-up of his tattoos, Goggle Images is your best bet.

  Over the years my attitude towards tattoos as changed a lot.  From my childhood, I remember an uncle who had a tattoo of a hula dancer who “wiggled” every time he moved his arm. Since he got it in the Navy, I figured tattoos were something only military people had.  In my teen years, I associated them with biker attire.  But later on, working as an employment counselor,   I marveled at the diverse number of people   who had them and came to view them with a new appreciation….. I loved the way the tattoos often    made a personal statement and how they expressed a person’s taste and individuality. (Think of all the different types of automobile bumper stickers there are and the messages they send. And what about all those T shirts with their pictures and statements?) But since tattoos are usually permanent and from what I hear, painful to acquire, I was amazed at those who had the courage and the stamina to endure the   process.  Occasionally, however, I did   suggest that a temporary “cover-up” might help someone get to first base in the sometimes difficult job interview process because some    prospective employers might not share my enthusiasm for their body art.  This suggestion depended on the design of the tattoo and most importantly on its location.

 If I were younger, and not afraid of the pain (do they numb your skin first?), I’d probably get a tattoo as long I was sure the person doing the tattoo was experienced and took the proper sanitary precautions. As of today’s date,  I believe it’s up to an individual county to determine whether or not tattoo parlors need to be licensed but I recommend reading  The Mayo Clinic’s article      http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020 before visiting any tattoo parlor since  serious diseases  such as hepatitis and nasty skin conditions can    result if you don’t do your    homework first. Realistically though, for many, getting a tattoo maybe the result of  one of those quick decisions that you don’t give too much thought to  ahead of time.(I know that was the case when I got my ears pierced many years ago and it didn’t end happily.  I wore earrings for about two weeks and then decided I couldn’t be bothered with them….. In case you’re wondering, the holes in your ears do disappear in time.)

 Of course with a tattoo, once you have it, there aren’t too many options to getting rid of it.  You can either cover it up with clothing, makeup, or laser it off which takes lots of time and money. But I still think I would have liked a tattoo …..probably a small one     on my ankle The location of the tattoo would be   as important as the design.   This brings up the often wondered question of what happens to tattoos as time passes and your skin begins to droop? What happens when you have a significant weight change?  When you gain twenty pounds does that cute little ladybug on your ankle morph into a cockroach traveling up your leg?   If you should lose weight, does that dainty butterfly fluttering on your midriff suddenly take a nose dive and if so where does it land?   The location is very important and tattoos are usually pretty permanent. They say “beauty’s only skin deep” but tattoos are very skin deep and last “Until laser treatments do we part”.

 It’s important to “Think before you ink” and always remember the often repeated real estate mantra, “location, location, location”.

 So what’s the connection between Adam Levine and Wal-Mart?  As you may have guessed by now, it has something to do with his tattoos. No, he didn’t get them at Wal-Mart and Adam Levine’s tattoos have   served him well. They are in a very visible location  but then  he is a rock star and they only  add to his attractiveness Okay, that’s just my opinion  but tattoos are   very big business (check out the cable show “Inked” and the number of people who attended the Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention held earlier this month) and  Wal-Mart is one of the most successful of the big businesses; however, it is seeking to move one of its stores three miles up the road to an   area that   many feel is an  awful  location.

 The pros and cons of such a move have already been well vocalized so I’m not going to repeat that information again, but something should be remembered about Wal-Mart as well as any other business that wants to enter a community. 

 Just as you should heed the warning of “Think before you ink”, we should also “Zone before we moan.” Everyone in the community, especially our elected officials, needs to recall this when considering future proposals.  These buildings (love them or hate them), like tattoos, are probably going be around for a very long time and where they will be located is as important as the business itself.

  Should the Wal-Mart move come to pass, will it be viewed like as that cute little ladybug tattoo or the one of the butterfly that takes a dive and ends up in a completely inappropriate location?  Only time will tell.

 I personally don’t know what the future holds for Wal-Mart or the communities it may impact but I’m betting that Adam Levine… and all his tattoos…… are only going to get better with age. He left the right kind of impression and one that I’m sure will last a very long time.