Edited to add: This didn’t hurt. Like if you’ve ever had braces; getting your braces tightened hurts way worse than a tattoo.

So Em, Kate, and I got tattoos yesterday. This is mine. It’s very me for several reasons. First the little symbol in the “s” symbol in the runic alphabet. In Germanic languages, it stands for strength, battle, and victory. It was briefly appropriated by the fascists which makes it all the more appropriate considering my thesis. The quote surrounding it is from one of my most favorite Dar Williams lyric. The full quote is “I build my peace through strength/That’s the best weapon you’ve got,” but that’s a bit long for a tattoo. This is probably one of the lamest tattoos ever, but I really love mine, and we had fun getting them together.