a linking pin exposed

I have always been fascinated with tattoos, but until my visit in Guatemala, I was unaware of their ability to act as a common ground and bring people together. I got my second tattoo last August, an owl that is perched permanently on my right arm, constantly reminding me of all the crucial knowledge I've gained....and all that I have left to discover. Her name is avocado, named after a story involving Florrinda, the woman that my group built a house for last year. I love my tattoo. It's feminine, big-eyed and has a large heart over its chest, representing my eternal love for the search of wisdom and wonder. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, tattoos on women in Guatemala are a rare exception. The children (and often adults alike) were captivated by avocado and were constantly asking questions about it and taking their turn rubbing it (just to see if it would, in fact, rub off). The children often ran at me wide-eyed and grinning when they caught a glimpse of my arm from across the Center. It was wonderful for them to be so interested in something that is so personal to me. I loved their interest in it. It brought us together and allowed me to have some truly unique conversations with many of the children. I must add that once they were within hugging distance, they weren't safe from my arms... :)



Again, I truly loved how awed the children were by the artwork, but... it was the adults that offered story after story relating to their own works of art. After a discussion with an individual that had lived through (and served during) the 36-year Guatemalan Civil war, I had sent the students off to journal and was reflecting while sitting on a stoop near the volunteer office at the Center. He walked up to me, and in our broken English/Spanish, he was able to convey that he, too, had a tattoo. He proceeded to lift the sleeve of his shirt to expose a Quetzal bird on this upper left arm. The tattoo was clearly aged, as it was faded and the colors bled. I couldn't believe what he said next.... This, was his mark of his involvement with the Guatemalan military; this was his war tattoo. He, was physically marked for life by the government that has devastated so much and so many. I was speechless. I thanked him for his openness and his gracious desire to share that story with me. Little did he know that I had previously had plans to get a Quetzal bird tattooed on me upon my return... to symbolize all that I've learned about the world and myself while serving in Guatemala. In that very moment, I quickly decided that, that specific marker represented something very different than I hoped to convey with the potential artwork that floated through my mind. I have since drastically shifted my conceptions of my next piece... but, I'll get to that later.

Another story came tumbling out while on a bus to a clothing distribution. Another member of the GCP staff engaged in a conversation about the pieces that he wears daily. His, symbols that stand as reminders to stay calm and collected even if the world around you is in dissaray. The other, a self-done piece from early adolescence. Again, the stories exposing pieces of a journey that last a lifetime.

In yet another situation, another of the GCP workers asked open-ended questions about my piece, and I freely told of its purpose to remind me on a daily basis of what it is that I am passionate about. This led to conversations that involved personal histories and life encounters. This person later also engaged in conversations with others in our group who dawned pieces. The shared experience and common ground that is forged through this art form is incredible. I could not be more proud to wear my owl each and every day... because now it carries with it a whole new kind of story; the story of others. I have memories that I have shared with countless other individuals based solely on its existence.. and for that, I really am grateful.

Now, for the next piece that I plan to get. Every day on our walk to the Dreamer Center, we walked passed a tree-lined street. I remember the trees from last year. They are cute, nearly-circular trees that look almost comic-book like. I love them. They warm my heart. I am having an artist design a piece to place on my back... the location of support and growth ... it will be a full back piece with a small Quetzal bird nested in the branches of its comic-book character. I will post images once it's rendered.. but for now, my eagerness for its conception is pouring over.

These experiences, again, taught me the power of the human experience and how connected and similar we all truly are. Thank you to those who shared their stories; those are memories I shall carry with me as I move forward in the world.