I’ve been thinking the past few days, and there’s a lot to be said for loyalty.
Whether it’s returning to the same tattoo artist, or piercer, or club, or restaurant, or 24 hour shop… going back to the same place over time because of the people that are there and the service that they offer is more than worth the extra cost that you might end up paying either financially or in convenience. Nothing quite beats building up a relationship with the people that you engage with in a commercial process of commodity exchange which can seem so cold and sterile a lot of the time.
I think that one of the greatest things about Glasgow is the chance to be able to create your own community of people through your regular interactions; something that you simply don’t find if you only shop in big supermarkets or even in larger cities. It struck me as I’ve been to a few of my regular haunts recently, or even just passed by the shop windows and had the people inside wave back, that a city can be a really warm and wonderful place if you want it to be… and just as easily an awfully lonely one.
We should all foster a bit more loyalty towards others than we do already, and doggedly defend those that are loyal to us, because that’s what makes everyday life worth living.
pictured is my wonderful friend Laura Kennedy of Timeless Tattoo, shot a couple of years ago using a Hasselblad 500CM, and film that escapes the memory at present.