Buying New Dishes is Like Getting a Tattoo

By Drew Holmes

We are now a Fiestaware family.

The set of dishes we had been using was the same set I purchased at the thrift store when I was outfitting my new residence back in 2010. I do not remember if the box of dishes was $8.00 or $4.00, but I do know for certain that it was half price because the store ran a special on Saturdays and I was on a budget. The dishes have been a workhorse for me and my growing family, but over the years pieces have chipped or broken and the aesthetic has gotten stale. We needed something fresh, durable, and versatile.

I first became aware of Fiestaware at the Broadway Diner in Summit, NJ. I was still in school and, socially speaking, Theatre Department adjacent. The Broadway was the favored late-night place to grab a bite to eat. Where else but a New Jersey diner can you get cheese fries, pancakes, and a vanilla shake any time of day or night? I was struck by the unapologetically bold colors of the plates and how the color scheme was best described as “All of Them”. Despite (or maybe because of) this the pieces worked with each other, and the simplicity of the aesthetic allowed the food to shine.

When Jamie and I discussed getting a new set of dishes, we independently landed on Fiestaware. The pieces are easy to find, the colors all (more or less) work with each other, and the reputation for durability is unquestioned. We can easily add a plate here or a bowl there and not worry about the pattern being discontinued. And even if a color is no longer available, it is easily replaced with another. Plus, Fiestaware dishes are no longer radioactive! No, really, look it up.

The new dishes arrived, and we rearranged the cabinets. Looking at the bold colors on the shelf I immediately had one thought: are we a Fiestaware family? Are we really these fun, bold colors that mix and match in endless combinations? In a way this seemed like the same process as getting a tattoo. One day it is not there, and every day thereafter it is. How can you know a piece of art needs to be forever emblazoned on your body before it is there?

The answer is simple: you decide. You decide that this is who you are, and it becomes a part of you, a part of your core identity. By being deliberate in our actions and intentions we create the reality we envision.

This is also like deciding to learn to make music. Ask anyone starting to learn an instrument if they are a musician and they are unlikely to say yes. Why is that? Are they less of a musician for being at the beginning of their journey? If so, when do they earn the right to call themselves one? When is the magic moment of transformation if not at the start when the decision to learn music is made? Intention shapes reality and the day you decide to become a musician is the day you become one.

Looking in the cabinet I love the new dishes and am rapidly getting used to the vibrant colors. Even if these are not our dishes forever, I know we can add new pieces or go in a completely different direction if necessary.

That is one of the great things about disxhes. Unlike tattoos, they are a lot easier to change.