Ampersand

Ampersand TattooSo the other day I got my first tattoo. It’s small, simple, and exactly what I wanted.

It’s an ampersand.

And of course the first question is “What does it mean?”

I’m a bit of a smart-ass, so my answer is “And.”

Because that’s the beauty of the ampersand – it stands in for one of the best words in the English language.

And connects ideas together, so it bridges the gaps between us. It points to the infinite possibilities (someone thought it was an infinity sign when I first drew my tattoo out) of what has come before – when a sentence begins with and – as well as what might come next – when the sentence trails off. And also confines us by defining boundaries and sets, particularly when we use it in terms of couples, “Brad and Angelina.” And pairs us with others to accomplish a goal, average, giant, and tiny. And it orders our lists and lives by telling us what is last and generally important.

And my reasons for tattooing an ampersand contain all these ideas, plus a little of Amanda Palmer’s song “Ampersand,” and the idea that I like to work with people to accomplish what holds importance, and my fascination with everything that has both/and aspects, especially when it comes to finite/infinite dualities embodied within a single reference.

And more than I can coherently express, ampersands make me happy and remind me to look beyond myself because in some respect we all connect back and that’s what shapes us.

And if you’re interested in more pictures, they’re up on flicker, and if you’re interested in more information on ampersands perhaps begin here, and you could always ask.

And I perhaps the question remains.

One thought on “Ampersand”

  1. I adore this blog post! I’m just about to get the same tattoo myself for the same reasons and was doing a bit of research into the reasons other people have got it. It’s always wonderful to find someone who sees the same meaning in it as you 😀 another additional reason I’m getting mine is because it symbolizes continuation and courage, even when things suck. Also, in AP’s song “Ampersand”, there’s the line “I don’t want to live my life on one side of an ampersand”. She means it as in, she doesn’t want to be just one part of a relationship unit, which I totally agree with, but also for me it represents not giving up and continuing past a certain point. Plus, it’s such a beautiful symbol. I’m getting mine slightly bigger than yours and on my inner wrist, in a serif font. I’m so excited 😀

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