Memento mori

I made plans to get a tattoo this coming Monday. I’m a little nervous, to be honest; however, I’ve been thinking about getting this done for the past twelve or thirteen years and to be finally able to get it is something of a relief and a form of closure. It’s a reason to celebrate. What I’m planning to get done is the latin phrase memento mori inked on my inner left biceps. It’s a relatively common tattoo to get as many celebrities have it. I don’t really mind that because my tattoo doesn’t have to be super rare to me. 

The origin of this tattoo is a bit tacky, I must admit. I read the Steve Jobs biography my senior year of high school and, though I’m not a particularly big fan of his despite using his products, there’s something about the origin of this saying that really resonated with me. Memento mori is a latin phrase that originates from the ancient Romans. It literally means to remember that you must die. It’s not meant to be a morbid thing–even though it appears to be on the surface–but rather as a means to cherish the present and to live intentionally day-to-day and to seek higher forms of gratifications in this world while denouncing that which is superficial. It’s a good reminder to have on your arms. 

Even though the phrase itself is common, the font I picked, which will be created for me by a Japanese American artist will be very much unique. It will be in a font that is inspired by the Hebrew language. The font will be derived from the language of Judaism and the phrase itself will be of Christian origin. I think this is perhaps the most fitting way to go about it all because I have been touched profoundly by individuals of these two faiths, which sometimes have conflicting principles. 

Above all, I’m very excited for this new tattoo and I think I’m open to getting more if this experience goes well. This particular tattoo I got just for me, but in the future, I think I will get more in collaboration with loved ones. We’ll just have to see how everything unfolds.