The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
—Proverbs 16:9
I didn’t think he’d do it.
This man, so particular, so neat and tidy, one who values what he has and
works hard to keep things in like-new condition. He’d rather maintain and fix than buy new. An
old school kind of guy. Old trucks, old
cars, old movies, old music. One who wished he’d been born decades earlier. In
a simpler time. Nary a rebellious streak
in him. A former police officer who
obeys every traffic rule. Yup, that’s
him. Regimented. Not a wild hair to be found. He uses coasters religiously to
prevent water marks on his furniture—surely he’d never mar his body. That’s
what I thought. But there it was as
plain as the nose on his face…uh, his arm…a tattoo!
He told me ahead of time he made the appointment—even
described his design, but I didn’t think he’d go through with it. But he did.
And I have to admit the tattoo suits him. A piston and wrench in
crisscross fashion surrounded by music notes.
By my description of him, you probably agree that it fits. But there’s another part of the tattoo—a pair
of dice. A gambling man? Not really. He
doesn’t play the lottery or cards or slots. He doesn’t bet on the horses or the
games. And he doesn’t gamble at making
decisions—not a risk-taker. Every decision is well-thought-out.
So why the dice? Because that’s Kevin’s outlook on life. Like
rolling the dice, you never really know how it will turn out. You may plan well
and think through every decision. But certain
situations arise that are beyond your control. And things happen so
unexpectedly that it’s…well… as shocking as Kevin getting a tattoo.