 Me, after lounging around during our snow day yesterday. |
I love tattoos. I have a few myself. Tattoos have become more mainstream, so much so that having one or two - even three tattoos doesn't necessarily qualify a person as "tatted up" or "rebellious" or "countercultural." I'm not sleeved, and I don't have a skull tattooed on my face or "Mayhem" tatted across my neck, but I have enough ink on my skin that people in the gym would likely refer to me as "the tattooed guy" (or "the guy with the unicorn shirt," if someone buys me this for my birthday next month. FYI, I'm a medium. Just sayin').
As one of those "tattooed guys," I have learned a few things about tattoos. To start, the hardest tattoo decision to make (unless you're drunk) is your first tattoo. Yes, tattoos are permanent. Yes, your tattoo should be meaningful. It's a tough decision. Tougher still is where to put your tattoo. Never rush to get a tattoo. Give yourself time to think - and rethink - your decision. This is even more crucial if you're planning to get a tattoo for deep emotional reasons, like the loss of a loved one. When my best friend Steve died, I wanted to get a tattoo done in his memory. In spite of my sadness, I had enough clarity of mind to wait a long while, to see whether I really wanted to make that decision, or whether I was just trying to process grief in the moment. In the end, I decided against that tattoo. I'm not saying you shouldn't get that kind of tattoo. What I'm saying is, make sure it's right for you. That particular tattoo wasn't right for me.
Being part of the subculture of tattooed people (which, honestly, I think I barely qualify to be a part of, considering how much bare skin I still have) I've also learned that moments of regret are just part of the lifestyle. They're brief flashes of feeling that pass almost as soon as they hit, but they come with thoughts of "should I have gotten this tattoo?" or "did it really turn out okay?" or "should I have put this tattoo there?" Sometimes I think about what I would do if I were able to do it all over again. If I could, say, wipe the slate clean - or wipe my skin clean - what would I get? Would I get the same ink? Probably not. Would I get tattooed at all? That's an interesting question. I don't know whether I would, honestly. The newness and novelty of getting tattoos have passed (for me). That said, I experience an interesting paradox in which I still want more tattoos. That's part of the lifestyle too: after you get a tattoo, you immediately want another one. And I'll likely get more ink done in the future.
I realize that part of the reason why I wouldn't get the same tattoos if I had the chance for a do-over is that each tattoo I've put on my body was done at a certain time of my life, for a particular reason. I wouldn't get the same tattoo that I got when I was 21, because I'm not that person anymore. But that's the cool part of being one of those "tattooed guys": my life, my journey, is documented on my skin. I carry with me reminders of where I've been, who I am now, and even where I'm going next. So here's my journey, commemorated in ink...
The first tattoo I got was this Celtic cross. I added the other pieces of Celtic knot work much later, but it all started with the cross. Like I said, the first tatt is the hardest decision to make. I went with a tattoo that would be a lasting symbol of who I am - or so I thought. I was 21 years old at the time, and while I had already wrestled with doubts and questions about my faith, I was still a young and idealistic minister, and my career as a Christian apologist was just beginning to blossom. This tattoo's purpose was to display both my Irish heritage and my Christian faith.
While I've come a long way since my Bible college days, I regret neither my journey nor this cross on my arm. I am grateful for my religious background because, at the very least, it got me thinking about "big picture" type questions, which made me curious to know the answers. And while I thought for certain that I already had all the big answers figured out, my Christian background led me to Christian apologetics, which led me to logic, which led me to philosophy, which led me to freethought, which led me to where I am now. So I take a little pride in displaying this tattoo, which represents both my ethnic and ideological past.
This is my most recent tattoo. Yes, it's from The Legend of Zelda. It was my favorite game as a boy, and Link is still one of my favorite characters of all time (a character who, like myself, is left-handed). But those aren't the only reasons for the tattoo. This symbol is the Royal Crest of Hyrule, and it features the Triforce above a loftwing. The triforce represents the significance of the number 3 in my life. To offer a few examples: I was born on the 3rd; I currently hold belt ranks in three martial arts. The therefore sign in logic is a symbol with three dots (shaped much like the Triforce, in fact), which brings to mind nostalgic thoughts of my days studying philosophy in college. But most importantly, the Triforce on my arm represents my three children. Turns out The Legend of Zelda is my son Micah's favorite game too. Seems the boy has a lot in common with his old man (which I'm sure worries my ex-wife).
The tattoo on my right shoulder is an ensō. This Japanese circle is the unofficial symbol of my blog, as well as a representation of my personal worldview as both a freethinker and a minimalist. I wrote about it a few years ago. I'll share here what I wrote back then:
Ensō is a Japanese word meaning "circle." An ensō symbolizes enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and the void. There is no modifying an ensō once it is created; it is seen as an "expression of the moment." An ensō is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art.
This particular ensō is a broken circle, although some artists complete the circle. The broken circle for me symbolizes the recognition that our ideas of the absolute are inevitably incomplete; we always have more to learn. The tattoo on my right shoulder is of this ensō. This symbol also appears on my blog.
The ensō has no religious meaning for me. It is merely a reminder that our knowledge is incomplete, and this realization is where the search for true enlightenment begins. The ensō, which represents a brief moment in time, reminds me of how short my life is. Indeed, life is a flicker of a candle's flame; one brief stroke of the brush on the canvas of the universe. I must, then, make the most of the life I have.
This symbol is... well, I don't know what it is. It really isn't anything. It's a design I created a few years ago that I thought would be cool as a tattoo. Here's the original design I made:
My tattoo artist had to simplify the design a bit. Some of the lines were way too small for a tattoo version. I was okay with the changes. This tattoo represents my creative side. It is, for what it's worth, an original piece created by me. I'm not a very good artist, but I still like to create. Because this tattoo symbolizes my creative side, it also necessarily represents my Demon as well, because my depression drove me to create. I needed an outlet for my emotions during darker times. Most of my drawings were made during those times.
This tattoo is a positive symbol, though. I made it through the dark times. The Demon didn't consume me. I'm in a much better place now. I don't always handle it perfectly. I never will. But I see light beyond the shadows, and that means a lot. I consider myself fortunate. I know there are others who never get to see that light.
Boondock Saints, baby.
I studied some Latin in college. Came with the philosophy training. Happened to be right around the time the first Boondock Saints film came out. Also right around the time I really started to understand the importance of seeking truth. "Veritas," after all, means "truth." Seek the truth, and try to be truthful. That's one of my life mottos. I seek to live a life of honesty, integrity, science advocacy, and skeptical inquiry. "Aequitas" means "justice." Over the years, the one thing that lights a fire within me (both good and bad) is inequality and injustice. The world needs a lot more fairness, peace, justice, and equality. For the sake of aequitas I gladly consider myself an advocate of equal rights and equal opportunity for all people. I call myself a feminist. I support the rights of the LGBT community. I hope I see Dr. King's dream become a reality in my lifetime. As a white, heterosexual male, I have tried to be mindful of my own privilege, and more empathic towards those who don't have it as good as I do in our society. I know I still have a lot to work on, but I keep trying.
I have the ink on my skin to remind me everyday.
