I’m always losing things. Doesn’t matter what it is, either, I’ve lost it. I’ve lost wallets and credit cards, thermoses and keys. Sometimes it’s a matter of thoughtlessness, like putting something down on the bus seat next to me and forgetting to pick it back up again. Other times I’ll give my credit card at the restaurant, and leave without getting my card back. I’d love to say I’m just focused on other things, but really, I’m just not good at keeping track of things. Hell, I can’t even keep track of passwords.
So a year ago, my fiancée at the time asked me, “What do you want to do for a wedding ring?”
I admit, I gave her a blank look. Never mind the fact the wedding was looming large on the calendar, only six months away. I honestly hadn’t given it much thought. See, I’m not one for jewelry. As in I don’t wear any. Then there’s the always losing things, and the thought of losing a ring, especially a wedding ring means I don’t want to spend a lot of money on something I’d just end up losing anyway.
“Check these out, will you?” She had her laptop open, a whole series of tabs open on her browser. “What do you think of these?”
She must have sensed my carefully constructed air of indifference.
“Don’t you want a ring at all?”
I tried to explain the always losing things, which, she admitted, she’d noticed. I then asked her the last time she ever saw me wear any jewelry. She admitted she couldn’t think of a time.
“A wedding ring is different though!”
I nodded, agreeing with her. I’d feel a lot worse when I inevitably lost it for instance. The next day I was at my local, complaining over a beer at the ‘tender Jim.
“Why not get a tattoo?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Seriously, look.” He tugged his ring off, showing me that underneath the metal band, a ring of ink circled his digit. “It’s not like you are going to lose your finger, right? By the way, here’s your hat. You left it here last week.”
I broached the idea to the fiancée.
“You hate needles.”
A fair point, but in this case I’d make an exception.
“You’re getting a real ring, too. I’m not going to have a tattoo artist working on your finger while we exchange vows.”
I agreed, and we settled on a brushed titanium band. It wasn’t too expensive, and what I saved on a ring, I could splurge on ink. About two weeks before the wedding itself, I went in with my fiancée, and got the ink done, a cursive band around my ring finger with her name. It still stung a bit when she forced the wedding band down over it though.
Anyway, I lost the wedding ring three months ago when we went to Costa Rica. I swear it was on my finger when I went into the ocean, but it was gone when I came out, never to be seen again. I still have the ink though.
And that’s how I got this tattoo.
Dark Perceptions 