Have you seen anyone with a tattoo like this?
If not, you may not be looking close enough. They're popping up...
everywhere.
That's right: the semicolon. It's a tattoo that has gained popularity in
recent years, but unlike other random or mystifying trends, this one
has a serious meaning behind it. (And no, it's not just the mark of a
really committed grammar nerd.)
Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement in 2013.
They describe themselves as a "movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire."But why a semicolon?
"A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their
sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your
life."
Originally created as a day where people were encouraged to draw a
semicolon on their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew into
something greater and more permanent. Today, people all over the world
are tattooing the mark as a reminder of their struggle, victory, and
survival.