The Tattoo Chronicles: The Compass

I'm a pretty spiritual person. I think that is a pretty well documented fact. I've been on a quest for enlightenment for awhile now. In my youth I went to every kind of church there was to go to. My parents raised us without religion. We were taught that there was a God and we were taught the Golden Rule. There was a bible in our house and there was a book of children's bible stories. However, we were not asked to go to church, we were not asked to believe a certain brand of organized religion. My parents left us to our own devices. When we were old enough, we made our own decisions. I won't discuss my siblings' religious choices; I can only tell my story.

I've been to churches run by Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites, Catholics - several others I don't remember. I've been to Synagogue and I've studied cultish followings. I finally developed a religion of my own

Stephenism.

My religion is my devotion to my loves: my family, my family of friends, art, health and fitness, living, the planet, being good and to God. Since I don't subscribe to a particular religion, I cannot say what God is called. I am not a Christian, though I do wear a cross - it is a symbol of spirituality to me. Also, it tells my Christian friends that I respect their faith. I do believe in Jesus Christ. I believe he was a good man and an honourable one. I believe he was a great teacher and a great example. I do not believe that he was a prophet or the son of God - that is to say, the ONLY son of God. We are all the children of God. I don't know if Buddah was a diety; but I have a Buddah on my altar, where I chant nam myoho renge kyo. My preferred form of prayer is Buddhist chant, though, when I go to sleep at night, I simply blow a kiss to the heavens and say "thank you for today." I don't know enough about other religions to know if Allah is God or if any other diety to whom people pray is God. I only know that there IS a God. I don't know what God's name is.

I have chosen to call God Obi Wan Kenobi.

I am a New Yorker. I chose to move to New York, tricking my husband into it. After September 11th, we chose to stay in New York and rebuild. During hard times, struggles with careers, harsh winters, we have chosen to stay here. When an episode of Sex and the City featured Carrie referring to New York as her boyfriend, Pat and I beamed. We knew whereof she spoke. We are in love with this city. When our friends are "getting out of town for the weekend", we are staying here. New York is where I live. It is where I am. It is the place I CHOOSE to call my home.

My other, my real, my personal home is Pat Dwyer. Robert Patrick Dwyer, to be exact. He is the most wonderful, the most special, the most extraordinary person I know and the love of my life. My union with him is that which makes me proudest. It is where I love and where I live.I

It's been a long time since I started trying to like myself, since I started trying to love myself. It's a hard journey and one that I am aware a lot of other people must take, in their own lives. For myself, it has been a journey filled with extreme highs and devastating lows, with as much happiness and as much pain as I have (thus far) been able to handle. No worse than many have had and a lot better than many have had, this life has been a journey into loving myself; and I've reached a place where, if I met myself, I'd think 'that man is ok.' Together, with Pat, though, I am better than ok. I am right as rain, as the saying goes.

I developed the compass to point in the major directions of my life. Not a skilled enough artist, I had my friend (the renowned artist) Matt Logan render it for me. I wanted it to go over my heart but Pat will allow no tattoos on my chest. So, on the backside of my heart, you will find my compass. The needle to the north is directed to OB1. On the south end are the numbers 212. To the right are the initials RPD and to the left are SAM.

OB1 = God

212 = New York

RPD = Robert Patrick Dwyer

SAM = Stephen Aaron Mosher

I get a LOT of compliments on this tattoo.