[ WP ] In a world where everyone has multiple tattoos , you do not have any . At all . Tell me why .

“ Wow mister! Your skin looks like mine! ” 
 
 I look down to see a small boy staring wide-eyed at my unmarked arm. I smile a little as he starts to reach towards my arm; this isn ’ t the first time I ’ ve had this encounter and I doubt it will be the last. Maybe this time the kid will actually make it to feeling my arm. 
 
 “ BILLY! GET AWAY FROM THAT MAN! ” 
 
 Nope. A woman I can only presume to be his mother, what with the “ mother ” symbol on her neck, comes charging out of the pasta aisle and scoops Billy up. “ Remember, don ’ t talk to strangers! You don ’ t know where he ’ s been! ” 
 
 Billy wandered off to talk to some other random person, but that person was properly marked as a participating member of society, so his mother relaxed and went back to her groceries. 
 
 She may not know where I ’ ve been, but I know all sorts of places she ’ s been. She married. Graduated college. Had a career in marketing. It ’ s all there on her skin, letting everyone know that she is a functioning member of society, that she can handle responsibility, that she can deal with pain. 
 
 As I check out the cashier rolls her eyes at me as I pull out a card to pay, instead of just brandishing my wrist. It ’ s still possible to navigate society, more or less, without tattoos, but it ’ s getting more difficult. 
 
 Be that as it may, I find it worth it. No, I ’ m not one of you. Oh sure, I graduated high school and college and did the things, I just always skipped out when it was time to get the mark. Maybe random strangers don ’ t have to know. I like finding other people like me; I like getting to know each other the old-fashioned way. Most people think I ’ m dangerous, but that ’ s ok. Maybe someday one of those Billy ’ s will learn that I ’ m just like them, I just hold my memories inside instead of on my skin.
