Have You Got Yourself ‘Semi-coloned’ Yet?

I have always had a love – hate relationship with this punctuation mark. Unlike a full stop or a comma, the semi-colon can be avoided. I have always been hesitant in using the semi-colon and the complex rules of its usage have always perturbed me. And yet this very punctuation mark has helped me compose a string of long ‘Virginia Woolf’ like sentences, giving the appropriate pause.

Inked on the neck, standing tall. Source

This was until recently. Now, all I have is an overflowing fountain of love for the semi-colon. And what brought about this massive shift in my perception was ‘The Semi-colon Project’. “The Semicolon Project is a faith-based non-profit 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,” the organisation’s website says.

Semi-colon is hope. Semi-colon is love. Semi-colon is power.Source

“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.” This is the simple concept behind this project that has led the entire world intrigued, in awe and has led them to get a semi-colon tattoo on their necks, wrists, belly buttons or ankles. The Project started in the spring of 2013 but has received hype on social media only recently.

Because life is better with semi-colons. Source

Though the medium of body art or tattoos to express and inspire has been used since time immemorial, the symbol of the semi-colon brings with it a fresh and upbeat wave of hope and warmth. Who thought an almost ignored punctuation mark, composed of two small symbols, could serve as such a strong revolutionary symbol ?