hanuman

I have a tattoo of Hanuman on my arm

Tattoos are funny things. Where does the motivation for tattoos come from?
The first one was, for me, a moment of celebration.
The first tattoo symbolized the beginning of a search, reaching the age of 40, a new relationship with my body, and the pure joy of being by myself in a tiny alleyway in the middle of Bangkok. The tattoo "artist" talked on the cell phone the whole time. It took all of twenty minutes to do.The tattoo was etched on the back of my left wrist, right where a watch face covered it up.



5 years passed before the next tattoo. 3 8 hour sessions with an artist. The whole upper left arm was done of Hanuman biting the pearls that Ram had given.
The motivation was cement. There was no honor involved in the first tattoo. This one honored the commitment to the search. This tattoo cemented the relationship.


Will there be a third tattoo? Who knows? Who is searching?
The thought of Kali appears periodically. The  goddess of time and change. My kudzu.