Sharpie

In an attempt to make this semi-important and in-depth, I had written two previous drafts for this post... but I have a problem of making things too wordy. So I'll just tell it like it is and avoid elaborating the story.

I got a tattoo.

I've always been a people-pleaser. You know, the type that wants to do bold things, but is more worried about what other people may think. Well, this tattoo was in no way a rebellious I-don't-care-what-the-world-thinks move. In fact, I had been wanting one for a good while, but didn't know exactly what I wanted or why I wanted one. I just wanted it. Michael and I went to this fantastic place in California [Frontline Tattoo if you ever go]. I took them a cross pendant from a necklace that Michael had given me, then they scanned it, blew it up, and made a stencil from it. To me, I don't feel like it was a completely spontaneous move either. After enduring a deployment and facing many challenges along the way, I feel far more myself than I did this time last year. Not necessarily different, just more aware of who I am, and what I'm capable of facing. The tattoo simply marks that point in my life, just like underlining your favorite line of a book with a Sharpie pen.

"Cause everybody's got a part in the game

and everybody's got a cross they can claim

and everybody's got somebody to blame

But we all must find our own way, yeah yeah"