Courage/An Anniversary

Today it's been 10 years since I got my tattoo.  It's still the only tattoo I have--a small, black Kanji symbol on my lower back that means courage.  I got it when I was 17; my mom had to go to the tattoo parlor with me and sign a permission slip so I could get it.  It cost me $30, which included the tip.

I'd wanted a tattoo for a while when I got it.  My parents had always taken the stance that they'd let me get one if I paid for it myself and it wasn't anything bad (like a swastika or something, y'know) or huge.  I liked the idea of a Kanji tattoo but could never decide what I wanted.  So I kind of gave up the idea.  Then I watched this episode of the X Files that revolves around tattoos, and at one point, one of the characters (I think it was Scully) said that tattoos should reflect on the skin what lies within the soul (or something along those lines, I'm paraphrasing a little).  And it was kind of that idea that made me decide to get a tattoo.

Initially I wanted the symbol for strength.  But the symbol for courage was a bit more complex and a little prettier, so I chose that.  And yes, my tattoo really does mean courage--it was verified by Jenny's dad, who spent like a zillion years in Japan when he was in the Navy.

The thing is, I haven't had a lot of courage the past few years.  I've been kind of a pussy in a lot of ways and I need to get over it.  So today, since it's been ten years since I made courage a permanent part of my body, I'm reminding myself that I need to be brave.  I need to decide what I want and go for it and live my life courageously.