Tattoo

To my parents, a tattoo represents a sort of taboo or vulgarity of your body, but I feel that it is the deepest form of expression you can possibly have. I got a tattoo of a dragon when I was 17 and though, it may seem cliche because I am asian, it helps me remember how far I've come. My grandmother had passed away around that time. I was doing something that I felt would distinguish me and help me remember who I was.

With the loss of a loved one, you begin to question identity and purpose in life. I chose the dragon, not only because it was my Vietnamese name and my Zodiac sign, but a dragon represents so much; courage, confidence, strength, the will to succeed. My dragon is me, in a sense. I never found the time to add on to it, but I believe I'm ready now. I had this idea of what I wanted added on, but it never had a strong enough meaning to me for it to be imprinted on my body. But with the passing of another relationship, I see this tattoo as my representation of another stage of growth. My values reflect my decisions.

I hold loyalty to the highest standard, when it comes to friends and family. What she did in that moment, she did for herself. She knew that she had no future with that guy, but she liked him enough that he was good for her in the moment. She forgot about our relationship and essentially, I wasn't enough for her. She knew that I would be a guy that would be able to give her a future, but she used me. I can admit it now.

This tattoo will help me remember that, no matter who it is, you should never let people take advantage of you. She took advantage of the love we had and pushed it to its limits. I will hold my values true. I am going to keep the image of what I am getting a secret until it is complete, but I trust that I will be satisfied with the end result.