This is the tattoo I want to get. It is the elvish rune used by Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings as his signature. To me, this symbol represents everything that the character of Gandalf represents. That is knowledge, commitment, nobility, wisdom, strength, integrity, honor, and bravery. My father read Lord of the Rings to me when I was little, and he dresses up as Gandalf for Halloween every year. So Gandalf also symbolizes my father, and paternity.

My friends were all really into Lord of the Rings in high school, so this symbol also reminds me of how happy I was then, and how much I have changed since then.

When I see this symbol on my body, it will also remind me of the time when I got the tattoo. These past few years have been the best of my life, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

JRR Tolkein based the symbol on the rune “Feoh” from the Futhoric language used in the 5th century, notably in Icelandic, Norwegian, and Anglo-Saxon. In its original context, the symbol means “wealth”, and is a reminder to me to seek only true wealth – happiness in relationships with people that I love.

I have a tendency to avoid making difficult decisions and justifying it by saying I don’t know enough about the options to choose. The act of getting a tattoo is one of commitment and permanence. Getting this tattoo will be a reminder to be more confident and sure of my actions, and to not be afraid to make mistakes.