It is that
time of the year again for me. I am considering getting my next tattoo. Last
year on the 27th of January I
got my first ever one, dedicated to mother dearest…
*thought i'd give you a bit of face as well*
Tattoos to
me should be very meaningful or profound to the bearer. I hate it when I see
people getting tattoos just to have some ink on your body or because it looks
pretty. This is something that is going to
stay on your body forever! That is why I have taken so long on deciding
what to get for my first one. I always knew that I want it to be dedicated to
my mother, but I didn’t know what to get. The ideas that were floating around
in my head were that maybe I should get a Florence Nightingale tattoo (because
mother dearest is a nurse), or maybe international sign for the medical
profession, or maybe even a portrait of her. I finally settled on something
very simple because I think that reflects the relationship between the two of
us. Nothing complicated. Just Love. I got it on my wrist so that I can look at
it everyday and be reminded to never ever take her for granted. Someone asked
me a few weeks ago, in a very sarcastic way, “Howz that tattoo working out for
you?”. He was extremely lucky that I was rushing off somewhere and didn’t have
the time to retaliate, because clearly he has some mommy-issues that he was
trying to project onto me… I am not ashamed of my ink so far because it
portrays something beautiful and sincere: the love a son has for his
mother.
*Just a bit
of a side note… why is the word “Mum” acceptable??? It is supposed to be
“Mom”!!! Think about it… The word is spelt “Mother” not “Muther”… Get with the
program!*
I never
want to regret a tattoo that I get. That is why I have been battling with the
concept of my second one, which I may get within the next few weeks. There are
two concepts that I’m working with…
The first
one is getting an edited version of the prayer of St. Francis tattooed on my
back (maybe on one shoulder blade). I’m still not sure about placement. The
prayer is as follows:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
I was thinking of editing it so
that it reads as follows:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
May I not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Obviously I am going to want it in
some kick-ass script-ish kind of font.
The reason why I like this
prayer/poem is because it speaks of selflessness. A trait that is lacking in
today’s world. When everyone is consumed with being better than their fellow
man and willing to step on anyone to get to the top, this poem speaks of being
different and selflessly righteous (the good kind of righteous). I want to live
like that.
The second concept that I have in
mind is getting the African continent tattooed on my back. The reason I want to
get that done is because, for very obvious reasons, I am an African. For many
years I have fought with the idea of “being an African”. That is because when I
was younger I had a very different view of what is to be an African. Back then
it meant that I am from a place where crime rules, poverty is rampant and in
order to advance you have to have a certain skin tone. Where the streets are
filthy and the politicians are corrupt and the society will never grow because
they are holding on to what has happened in the past. Today I have a totally
different view of what it means to be African. It means acceptance of diversity
and multiculturalism. It means community. It means survival. It means
perseverance. It means respect. It means UBUNTU. Living in a first world
country proved to me that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.
I am considering this tattoo
because no matter where I end up in the world I want to remind myself to never
forget my roots. To never forget my humanity. To never forget ubuntu. To never
forget that in this world of individualism, that I am part of a community, I am
an African.
I have a friend who already has an
African continent on his back in a brilliant design.
This is it…
To be honest I would love to get
it exactly in that design, but there would be no creativity in that. So it
looks like I will have to design my own. Commence Photoshop!!!
As soon as I have it done I will
post a picture.
Peace. Love. Happiness.
