Inked.

A little food for thought.

A few days ago I was thumbing through wechat moments (like a Facebook status feed) and someone posted, "How do people even get ideas to get a tattoo? I've never envisioned a single thing to ink on myself."
The comment obviously came from someone who had no tattoos. My thought was, "I'm sorry they've had nothing significant enough in their life to ink on themselves."

I have four tattoos. Each one bares an extremely deep and meaningful point to who I am, who I was or I hope to be.

My response to the post was, "For motivation, for remembrance. Passion. Art. For any other number of things."
Their response was, "But then I remember it in my head or take a picture. Why wear it on your body? I'm not criticizing, just curious."

Again, I pitied their lack of passion. Any logical person realizes that pictures, as well as memories, fade over time. (Yes, tattoos, too.)

I believe there are three reasons most people will get tattoos:
1. Obviously a young boy or girl who turned 18 and can legally do so in rebellion to their parents' wishes. Or simply because it's a coming of age thing.
2. Art. The body is a canvas as well.
3. Those who need a permanent push. Those who have endured. Those who have suffered great loss. I.e. Losing a loved one or nearly losing yourself or conquering something or pushing toward something.

I  am the third. Although they are small, I never imagined I'd have four tattoos. On that note, I can say for certain four reasons for having a tattoo based on my own.

1. "Love yourself" on my left shoulder blade. This tattoo is a reminder. Because should my memory or heart ever fail me, if I look in the mirror or a reflection I will see this. I will remember to put myself and my own desires first. Always. People can break hearts, but if we don't love ourselves, we can break our own hearts.
2. Music notes behind my right ear for love. This one is simple. Music is the biggest part of my life. I have no musical talent but I have an ear for it. No matter how hard a day, or month is, music can always heal. Music is also one of the many bonds I share with my father.
3. A semicolon; because there is always something else to say. For motivation, this one is on the inside of my middle finger on my left hand. This is for my writing. Whenever I feel writer's block or that there is nothing left to say, I look at my paused left hand and press the pen a bit further.
4. 忍 (ren, third tone) in traditional Chinese character. Because this serves greater meaning than one word in English. This tattoo is on my right wrist. It serves many purposes for me. The first is perseverance. The meaning itself means "endure" in English. It is a push to continue with positivity because life continues, whether we want it to or not. Secondly, it serves as a reminder to remember how far I've come and that when this adventure ends another will begin. I got this tattoo in Chinese because it serves a greater meaning that way and because I am a different person from when I first came to China. I wanted something to remember how significant living in this country was for me and who I became here.

The point is, you shouldn't ridicule, but question a person's choice of ink because most likely, there is a great or interesting story behind it.

*Note: Obviously I don't think people without tattoos have nothing important or significant to remember. People with tattoos just choose to do so differently.