Then he sat down at the table of a larger man, a man with tattoos but the old kind, before tattoos became dainty and about spiritual life. The man wore tattoos from the time when tattoos meant you liked to kick people around.
In the story from "The Color Master," a character finds himself at a table with a larger man adorned with traditional tattoos. These tattoos are emblematic of a time when they signified toughness and a readiness for confrontation, contrasting sharply with the modern perception of tattoos as artistic or spiritual expressions.
This encounter highlights a dichotomy between the past and present, suggesting that tattoos once represented a rougher lifestyle, reflecting the strength and bravado of their wearers, rather than just being an aesthetic choice. The narrative emphasizes how societal meanings of such symbols can evolve over time.
