A couple of days ago my girlfriend asked if I wanted to get a tattoo with her. She grew up by the sea, so she wants to get a simple wave to remind her of home and her love for water. I told her no, for the same reason I have never wanted a tattoo: I never had anything meaningful enough to print into my skin. Over the course of the next couple of days, however, I found myself thinking about it more and more. I realized that for the first time in my life, I actually could think of a tattoo I wanted.

Almost two years ago now, one of my best childhood friends died way too soon from a freakish and random stroke of bad luck. It was a sucker punch to the stomach for all who knew him. He was an exceptionally unique, sensitive, and loving person. Hilarious, charismatic, generous, creative, and kind. All the things you look for in a person who’ll be a groomsman at your wedding, godfather to your kid, and friend for life. The thought of the permanence of his absence is crushing.

The last time I saw him was at my welcome home party at a friend’s apartment in LA. I had just returned from Prague and we hadn’t seen each other in a few years. So much had happened in that time: the pandemic, heightened racial and political tension, the loss of David’s father, and more.

We essentially spent the whole of that party huddled in a corner catching up. Two childhood buddies telling stories and jokes and completely ignoring the other partygoers. We talked about growth and loss and philosophy and aging and culture and dreams and regrets and everything in between. He was in a great place. He had started a film production house that was booking clients. His film career was finally rounding first base.

He passed within a month or two.

That’s really what started this whole music thing for me. I needed an outlet for the intense grief I was feeling. I also felt something of a need to keep his fire going. He was such a force creatively, it seemed such a shame that the world would lose his contribution. I thought maybe I could pick up the baton, and the closeness of our friendship would perhaps let some of his ideas channel through me and manifest somehow.

So anyway, here’s the tattoo I want to get. It’s a drawing he did about 5 years ago. It’s my favorite of his, and the imagery and meaning of it are just perfect.