Chris Gargala

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I thought my last tattoo was symbolizing character traits that I embodied; perseverance, strength, luck, and emotions because I had experienced many ups and downs during my life but managed to be living what I considered the American Dream. But what I found was I was really none of those things and in fact I was quite the opposite. I wasn’t really dealing with any of my emotions or fears. What I was doing was burying my “problems” and turning to alcohol. It serves as a reminder

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

My ink is a reminder of certain phases of my life. The first tattoo I have is Taz holding a beer when I was 18. I was living a crazy lifestyle. This was followed by a dolphin jumping through the sun. I got this tattoo while I was going to college at the beach. The next was an armband tattoo that has a heart in the middle which symbolizes my love for family and friends. The last two tattoos were Japanese Dragon and Koi fish both symbolizing strength, wisdom and perseverance.

What would you do with the $25,000?

This is the easiest of the questions. Since I entered treatment 7 months ago for my addiction, I have had to lean on my 74-year-old mother for financial support. I found myself alone with no car, no wife, no house, and no MONEY. My mother has provided financial support over the last 8 months while I continue to work to get back on my feet. My very first thing to do with money would be to pay her back and make things right. Any remaining would provide me some financial relief.