“Diary Entry: 8/24/24 – The Cookout“

Today, I went to a cookout and got a tattoo, my first spontaneous one.

I went to a Cookout with my sister; this space was created to honor black queer people. It pulled elements from Black American cookouts; it was all black focus from the food provided, drink names, and music choices. There were live performers from all over the diaspora who showcased black culture. Out of all the entertainment provided, the tattoo booth was the most popular. I was surprised to see a tattoo booth, almost as surprised that we were two hours late to the party but yet part of the early crowd. Black people’s time is unmatched.

My sister, who has no tattoo at all, pushed me to the booth, and I, the degenerate sibling who is heavily tattooed, was hesitant to get a tattoo. These were 20-dollar tattoos taking place in the middle of a party, so my sister signed up alone while I simmered on it. Space was limited, but I could not commit. My sister wanted a matching tattoo; the idea was cute, but I had never had a random tattoo before. I have designed all my work alongside the tattoo artist I chose for the piece.

Luckily, we came relatively early; my sister’s slot was towards the end of the party. People were getting multiple tattoos, using this 20-dollar tattoo to get filler tattoos on empty spaces. As the night went on, numerous friends signed up, and I checked out the artist’s Instagram and pondered the idea of a random tattoo. I eventually found a way to fall in love with the concept.

Is it me driving meaning to things, or was the meaning always there? I chose my sister’s tattoo before I knew it would be a matching set among us. It is a lotus with five padles and two dots under. The lotus symbolizes beauty, purity, rebirth, or spiritual awakening, depending on who you ask; I am one of five, and I can’t help but think of my sibling when I look at it. I even dedicated a petal for each of us. The two dots are me and my sister. This could be an eccentric, but I am a writer.