This, my fellow shoppers, is my next tattoo. I have coveted this picture for quite some time. I think, for me, it dates back to Junior High School. I didn’t know what I was going to do with the picture, but I did know that it had peeked my interest. If only I had known the meanings that this picture would hold for me down the line. Here I was, 14 years old (approximately), fascinated by this old Arabic calligraphy painting, and some ten to 15 years later I would be a forced vacation to it's homeland.

This photo represents not only a link to my past, but an insight into my present and how it will undoubtedly affect my future. The proverb told in this picture tells of the Lion and how he reaches out to all of Man. This links me to my religious past. The Arabic links me to my present situation of forced vacation on this waterless beach. It also links me to my future. The military, no matter how much I fight it, will with out a doubt leave me a changed man.

I will wear this picture with pride and honor, celebrating my past, honoring my present, and looking fondly on a future that I hope will be bright