Jan 27

Written by: Mark Carboni
1/27/2009 6:08 AM

Well, I have been officially branded! The marks once put onto cows to identify them in the field, then later into the market place is now front and center on my chest. What you see is the finish product just seconds after coming off the table ... so you see a bit more swelling and other things that will eventually be gone when I heal.

I have an official barcode on my left chest pectoral. I selected this concept because when one looks at any barcode it looks like every other one ... pick up ten packages at the store and each one looks alike but what is different is what is behind those bars. I have found that those bars hold the future - my future. I say this because I do believe that there is great complexity and depth that stand behind those bars.

My code really is not scannable, I don't think. But it was created by someone that I know and I know that it is an one-of-a-kind piece of art as well as a tattoo.

As for the pain, well there was pain. Trust me, there was pain. It was not as intense as I anticipated. Mind you, that while lying in the chair I was so tense you could have bounced quarters off me (but in normal every day life you couldn't hehe). I walked out with a splitting headache and my back hurt.

Finally, at one point, the numbers were going to be 05152015 - this is my anticipated expiration date. The date in which I am hoping to be done with the given life I live. However, some of my friends thought this was a bit too morbid and convinced me not to - because I am sure they thought, what if I went earlier than "out by 50". Great point - so with that ... I opted to have a series of numbers that represent my grandfather, a few favorite numbers and a few numbers from the old social security data bank.

I am not sure I would sign up for another anytime soon. I am glad that someone was there to keep me from running to the door - it made for a great memory.

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