He wears his heart on his sleeve

I believe you all already know that  I hold a special place in my heart for the mac geniuses. Sure, some of them are poorly groomed with very odd facial hair, but others are well, flat out adorable. Whenever I take my baby (aka my little black macbook) in to get looked at, I always hope for a cute genius.

Please not the guy with the curly mustache, please not the guy with the curly mustache!

Yesterday, I left work early because my computer couldn't seem to hold a charge. This was particularly problematic because I'd left my charger at home and had to share with my coworker. Well, in true Alana form, I brought my computer to the genius bar, and the problem disappeared.

Needless to say, I still ended up spending an hour there anyway dealing with other problems. There was a ton of downtime, and the silence was annoying, so I decided to ask my genius about his tattoos.

Colorful artwork snaked up both of his arms and under his sleeves. I even remarked that he looked like a giant coloring book. As I sat there, waiting for my computer to load, he began to explain to me the significance of each and every tattoo. It was fascinating. Each piece of art represented a piece of his life, an important time or a fading memory. It was like his arms were a map of his entire existence.

There was a tattoo representing the place he was born, a place he now knows he'll never go back to. Another tattoo, a tattered heart with a sewing needle shoved through the center, represented heartbreak, while a lighthouse stood for security and brotherhood. And then there was the naked lady, hidden beneath his t-shirt sleeve...which apparently showed the importance of "boobies." (I hope he was joking...)

I would never get a tattoo myself, and though I don't find them particularly attractive, I was fascinated that this man was so open about his life. While I choose to share my experiences through writing, he preserves them eternally through art. He keeps his heart on his sleeve...literally.

And you know what? I think that's sort of beautiful.