All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien

The Story of My Tattoos

A fellow steemian and tattooed soul, @foxyspirit, is having a #steemit contest in relation to our tattoos. You can go here to get all the details on how to enter.

The first tattoo that I will share is a quarter-sleeve on my left arm and it is a custom piece done by an amazing artist from South Georgia. It took two 4 hour sessions and embodies several important aspects of my life. The butterfly represents my daughter and the Japanese character within the archway translates to "daughter". I choose a mainly traditional Japanese style to pay homage to their culture and rich history with tattooing. The chrysanthemum represents the blooming of life to remind me that another spring with come and with it new hope and new opportunities. The ocean has been a part of my life since birth and I want traditional Japanese stylized waves. Lastly the tattoo is framed by storm clouds to remind me to be ever vigilant in my dealings and to maintain my work ethic. Another secret tidbit is that it is actually a cover up piece from a bad decision at 18....lol

^{1/4 Sleeve on my left arm.}

Next, we hop over to the other arm and share my tribal style bear and infinity symbol. The bear has always been a symbolic animal to me and the infinity symbol is a reminder to eternally remain true to myself and my nature, the bear This tattoo was, like many are, a transitional tattoo. It was between major life experiences and I needed to mark it with something to remind me of my nature.

^{Tribal Bear on Left Arm}

On my left chest above my heart, I have a koi and Japanese symbol with a bit of waves. The koi represents my wife, as she is a pisces, and the symbol means "artist" because my wife is an artist and art teacher. What better place to have the representation of my wife than over my heart?

^{Koi over my heart.}

Lastly, on the top of my left and right back I have two smaller tattoos. The one on my left is a Japanese symbol for "poet" to represent the poetry I write and the creative nature of who I am. The right one is a simple, antique style key to also represent my wife, who will eternally have the key to my heart.

^Poet

^{Key to My Heart}

There you have it. A short pictorial history of who I am told through the medium of tattoos. I am a father, husband, poet, bear and I adore tattoos. Some of these are not as great as they were when I got them, but some are over 20 years old as well. Thanks for learning a bit about who I am.

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