“Exploring life through fiction, together.”

I’ve spent many years wondering which tattoo to get. The longest standing idea was the emblem for my fireteam in Halo. I’d have got it emblazoned on my right shoulder, just like my character bore into battle.

Fiction Bite - What're you looking at?

They say a tattoo should mean something. He got a dick on his forearm so every time someone asked him why, he could point and say “It’s you.”

But people stopped asking, and his girlfriend dumped him. Work fired him. He tried moving to his parents, but since he’d trashed their kitchen last time, they said no.

He sat alone in his old tree house, staring at the faded names graffiti’d on the walls. Once-friends who now wouldn’t answer his calls.

The dick on his arm only had one person left to point to, and he didn’t like that.

Quote of the Week

“She had a flower tattoo on her wrist; "What does that mean?" he asked her. "Absolutely nothing," she said, "it's just a flower.” ― C. JoyBell C. 

Book of the month

All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

My dear friend Steph lent me her copy of this wonderful (and short) novel. It’s punchy and quick moving. I love Kaufman's writing style. The premise of Tom being the only ‘normal’ in a friendship group of ‘superheroes’ (read the book) was genius. From that vantage point, Kaufman can weave an entrancing story with subtle, and not so subtle, commentaries on the ridiculousness of our culture. I loved it so much, I immediately bought his second book, The Waterproof Bible, which is also wonderful.

Final Words

I never committed, and my gaming group drifted apart. For me, this is the big problem with tattoos. What will I want inscribed on my body for my entire life? Many ideas have lasted years, but nothing for a decade. How should I pick for the next (hopefully) 5 more?

And yet, their permanence in an ever changing world is a big draw. I get to nail down some aspect of my character in a way that won’t shift as I age, move house, or mellow out.

So I’m back to the same questions. Ones that I probably could have answered already, but maybe I’m just too scared to wear the response.

Who am I? What do I believe in? How do I show that to the world?

Or am I overthinking it?

Do you have any tattoos? Do you want some? How do you choose? Would you be willing to hit reply? It’d make my day to hear from you.

With Love,

Josiah

If you enjoy these emails, would you share them with a friend? They can subscribe here.