Ken's Tattoos/Tiki_Celtic.jpg

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Hawaiian Proverb - "Ua ola no i ka pane a ke aloha."

Translation - "There is life in a kindly reply." Though one may have no gift to offer to a friend, a kind word or a friendly greeting is just as important.

"A pessimist is a man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself." - George Bernard Shaw (Irish Author/Activist)

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.- George Bernard Shaw

This tattoo combines my Irish and Hawaiian roots and allegiance. I am of Irish decent and extremely proud of this as I see the Irish as absolutely wonderful people. Although they have been so shit on by the Brits they did not adopt the nasty imperialist ways of the British Empire (with rare exceptions that is). They remain a people that although not rich in financial terms, the most generous and kind people you will ever find. They have survived the oppression with their hearts intact; love ’em.

I am also a Hawaiian in the most real sense and I have a wonderful extended Hawaiian family. The similarities between the Irish and Hawaiian people could not be greater. Like my dear Hawaiian uncle Robert explained to me about the word aloha; “Aloha is not a word that comes from the lips alone, it comes from the heart. And it means come, we share.” That is the Hawaiian way, until treated with disrespect they still share all that they have; and this despite being completely shit on by the Yanks.

The tattoo is of a Hawaiian Tiki (wood carving) and a Celtic knot.
Tattoo by Lisa – Skin FX Tattoo, Kaneohe, Hawaii.