CrossFit Athletic Group

Mr. Wonsil, I love that you didn't just lecture the kids about not getting tattoos. This editorial is really well done, informative, and offers a lot of great advice that applies to more than just ink. Thank you for your contribution to the Champions Club!

I especially like when you talk about having a short-term life and a long-term life. A lot of people who are younger think about what is going to make them happy now, and they sometimes forget about the long-term consequences of bad habits, poor choices, etc. I struggle with this in the winter especially when I don't work out as much and don't eat well, because I just think "I'll eat better tomorrow and I'll workout tomorrow." But I feel like that mentality won't help me get things done that I need to get done today. It's carried over into doing chores and other tedious things that will build up in the long run.

Nice post Mark, fair and balanced... Here's a real world situation to reinforce the idea of having to make an "adult decision", fair or unfair... We were hiring for a manager position where I work, we had a number of solid candidates and had to trim the list down to three for a second round of interviews. After the entire process was complete and we hired a really great guy I was talking to the other two interviewers about the whole process and you'll never guess what came up... tattoos. It turns out all three of us liked one of the candidates, probably enough to include him in the second round but none of us did, and we all had to admit why... he had tattoos showing under his shirtsleeve, stopping at his wrist and another peaking just above his collar. So, fair or unfair, this guy didn't get a shot because three different people had an opinion about tattoos and their appropriateness for a manager level role at a law firm. The really ironic thing is, the great guy we hired has a tattoo but his is hidden on his back... Obviously these attitudes could soften as tattoos become more & more prevelant and the tattoo generation morphs into the hiring generation but Mr. Wonsil's message about short term affecting long term is VERY important.

okay...I finally have a chance to sit down and write a response. Great post by Mr. Wonsil. Interesting enough I was reading a strength and conditioning manual on football preparation and in the foreword the writer discusses how there is a dichotomy in sports related to a meritocracy versus gerontocracy system. Basically a meritocracy is based on performance, results, or your own merits and ability, while a gerontocracy is a system governed by elders. For instance, Murley's post about physical education could be construed as that the gerontocracy's plan for physical education curriculum is not conducive to today's youth and the situations they are facing....

Okay back to my point. I can see that the person getting the tattoo may view this as something earned by the freedom of turning 18 but it is not. This may sound weird but freedom is not an arbitrary age designated by your "escape" from the homefront to the lusher greens of college life, freedom is paying your own way...whether it is school, a place to live, or even Crossfit for that matter (why Crossfit because when you pay your own way, when you put in the work, you don't have to rely on or blame someone else for the outcome and that is freedom.)

That being said, I don't want to come across as a rookie old guy in the newest class of the gerontocracy. I think there is an inherent bias in the "adult" world that doesn't just involve tattoos, but includes your looks in general (good looking people get better jobs with better pay), your health (overweight versus fit individuals) , your race or ethnicity and your gender (Crossfit is an example right now with their transgender issue in the games). So in my opinion it is hard to say follow my lead when the path is a bit crooked.

An old saying goes, "if you don't like the rules, play a different game".

EXCELLENT comment Coach Brian!!! You could not be more right. "Hippies" used to not get job interviews because of their long hair. Women might not get an interview in many science gigs. You couldn't get a job at EDS if you had facial hair or didn't wear a suite. Of course, race bias has been around far too long. While there are some things that are easily changed: your clothing, your facial hair, or your weight (maybe) but you cannot easily change your race, your gender, or your basic looks. A tattoo is an example of something that's more like the second group. Once you've got it, it's difficult to get rid of it and if it's in a very visible place, it can work against you. Or at least until the next generation of HR managers have tattoos!

Another place one might see this gerontacracy is in education levels. HR departments are not often good judges of talent or ability so they will look at your schooling. One can be perfect for a job but if you don't have some credentials, you may be looked over. There's a fabulous woman named Jeri Ellsworth who worked on augmented reality glasses for the Valve corporation which makes the famous Steam gaming platform. Jeri has done many amazing things: race car driver, roller derby girl, and silicon chip engineer. All this and she never graduated from high school! However, her path was much more difficult because of this. Now people know her for her merit but it was a much tougher road than if she had some schooling behind her. Here's an interview with her if you have about an hour. She's a fascinating "young" lady and it's well worth the time in my opinion.

Interview of Jeri Ellsworth

Wow Mr. Wonsil very well written post!! I completely understand all of the points made. It makes me think a lot about things. Especially the short term vs long term. I wish I had more to say but I would just be repeating what has been commented already.

That being said, George Clooney in "from dust til dawn" has one of the coolest tats ever.

Or you could get a clock tattoo'd on the bottom of your foot to remind you to always be on time! Now that is a practical idea.

I get it: step in time!