The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple
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| — | Oscar Wilde |
“From that day on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood.”
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
“at last, we know not what it is to live in the open air, and our lives are domestic in more senses than we think. From the hearth the field is a great distance. It would be well, perhaps, if we were to spend more of our days and nights without any obstruction between us and the celestial bodies, if the poet did not speak so much from under a roof, or the saint dwell there so long. Birds do not sing in caves, nor do doves cherish their innocence in dovecots.” -Henry David Thoreau, “Walden”
From Tuesday’s With Morrie by Mitch Albom. While I’m not a huge a fan of the book in general, one passage really stuck out from the moment I first read it and stayed with me for years. I finally decided to have it tattooed.
It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them.
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| — | East of Eden (Steinbeck) |
“The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”
“And I feel that a man is a very important thing—maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed— because ‘Thou mayest.’”
- John Steinbeck’s East of Eden
A mission statement and a daily reminder. Quote from “Children of God” by Mary Doria Russell.
Tattoo by Jeff Harp at Inksomnia Tattoo in Alpharetta, GA
My tattoo of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. I’ve always loved the story and this year I’m taking a break from college. Since I’m not following the typical college plan, I figured I’m “late for a very important date”. However, if the White Rabbit wasn’t late, Alice never would’ve had her adventures in Wonderland. I’m enjoying taking the time off and seeing the adventures I get to have because of it, so I thought the tattoo was fitting :)
“I swear we were infinite” from Perks of Being a Wallflower This is my second tattoo. After I had my son, I realized that I was all grown up. Confused about where the time ran off to, I got this part of the quote from my favorite book of all time to commemorate the times when I was younger, and time stood still. We were infinite.
Shel Silverstein’s “The Missing Piece Meets the Big O” has been one of my favorite books since I was young. This is the book that taught me to I don’t need someone else to be happy and I felt that this tattoo was a great way to symbolize my growth as a person.
People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.
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| — | Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (via thecutteralicia) |
