I met a peculiar Tattoo artist on the Coast Starlight, covered from the top of his head to his toes in tattoos. The first thing he said to me as he passed me by while walking to his seat, “When is your arranged marriage?” I stared at him in disbelief, “What century is this again?” We struck up a conversation.

He doesn’t pose for pictures, has no cellphone or email address and apparently has “never sent a text message or used a cellphone.” His entire right leg is covered with tattoos from all the places he has been to (Borneo, Egypt, Prison), or has tattoos made by friends, friends’ kids, etc. His “Yearbook of sorts”.

When I was about to get off, he looked at me and exclaimed, “Y'know, you look like a mouse! You have big eyes, cute ears, small mouth, tiny nose and a mischievous look.” I looked up at this human totem pole of sorts and glared. “Aww, that’s Mousey!” he laughed.

I managed to catch a reflection of him in the glass panes. I don’t know his name. I just know he lives on 5th and Spring in Downtown LA, has an assistant who answers the phone for him and helps him run his tattoo shop (“I only do works that cost 5000$ minimum”), rides a Harley, loves surfing and is a tattoo artist. Atheist, doesn’t believe in marriage or monogamy and thinks I’d enjoy riding a Harley and “being one with nature, as the wind beats the face and there’s rain above and only the road to keep you going.”