“[W]hy are people all of a sudden inking or tattooing semicolons on their wrists?” asks Allan Metcalf of a new Internet phenomenon. “To prevent suicide, of course”:
Here’s an explanation from the website of the Semicolon Movement on Tumblr:
“The semicolon is used when a sentence could have ended, but didn’t.
“The movement is for anyone who has ever self-harmed, has a personality disorder, or has tried to commit suicide. The semicolon is a sign of hope. Your sentence is not over yet. …
“If you have ever harmed yourself, attempted suicide, or just want to support the cause, put a semicolon on your wrist or wherever you feel would mean the most. Every time you see it, think of something that makes life worth living.”
You can find explanations like these, and numerous illustrations of semicolons decorating arms and wrists, on Facebook and Pinterest, as well as Tumbler. And there’s a website for The Semicolon Project, “a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting hope, help, and support to the people and communities suffering from mental-health issues. We are here to address depression, anxiety, self-harm, addiction, and suicide.”
The website announces a special day: “On April 16, 2014, everyone who self-harms, is suicidal, depressed, has anxiety, is unhappy, going through a broken heart, just lost a loved one, etc., draw a semicolon on your wrist. A semicolon represents a sentence the author could’ve ended, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.”
(Image via The Semicolon Movement)
The Dish 