Tattoos are cool.

Let's just get that out of the way. Tattoos, by design, are cool. Or, rather, one could say that tattoos make the wearer cool. Whatever. The point is, I got two tattoos today (they go together, both wrists) and I'm pretty sure that just automatically elevates me to the status of "cool". Finally, I'm in my rightful place, and now I can initiate my world domination plans... er, anyway, the tattoos I got are dedicated to the video games series Bioshock, developed by Irrational Games. My ink features the trademark tattoos of the player character of the first Bioshock game, incomplete chain links on the inside of each wrist, with an added quote from the game, "A man chooses," on the right wrist under the chains, and "A slave obeys," on the left wrist under the chains. The chains represent individuality, according to the in-game character Andrew Ryan, and stand for each individual's effort to better their self. The chains are there to say, "No government or man can pull this except me," or, in other words, "A man chooses, a slave obeys."

I got these tattoos not only because I love the Bioshock series (and tattoos are cool), but also because what they represent is something that is becoming less and less valued today. Individuality, the sweat of one's brow, the desire to achieve greatness, these things aren't being taught like they used to be, and mediocre is not something to aspire to be. There isn't much better than being able to say, "I did this. I made this happen." And my tattoos represent these things that I believe in.

So what do your tattoos mean to you?