Last year, my roommate got her first tattoo at Wonderland Tattoo by Sean Wright.
Seeing her go through the process made me realize how much I wanted a tattoo. I also learned how to go about getting one. That summer, I got my first tattoo at Opal Ink by Lindsay Carter. It's a little compass my right shoulder blade.
I became addicted like everyone else and I now have another tattoo on my left shoulder blade. This one was by Charles Nicoli at Mellow Madness.
After I got my tattoos, I received a mix of reactions from people. A lot of people tell me how much they love them, but others tell me that I am stupid and that I will never get a job. Here's a list of the stereotypes about people with tattoos and why they aren't true.
1. I am a rebellious youth.
Tattoos are becoming more popular today than they ever were before. If you go to any college campus, you will see that almost every student that you pass has a tattoo.
2. I am irresponsible.
This sort of goes hand-in-hand with being rebellious. People refuse to accept that times are changing and not everyone with a tattoo is a bad person.
3. I don't have an education.
People with tattoos must have dropped out of high school, right? Wrong. Having a tattoo does not reflect how intelligent a person is.
4. I am a mean person.
For some reason, people think that they can tell what kind of temperament a person has based on whether they have a tattoo or not. I know plenty of really sweet people that have tattoos and a lot of jerks that don't. Having a body modification does not affect someone's personality at all.
5. I won't be able to get a job.
Yes, this might have been a true statement in the past, but workplaces are becoming more accepting of tattoos nowadays because more people are starting to have them. As long as you don't have a tattoo covering your entire face, you should have no problem finding employment.
People are now starting to become more accepting of tattoos and are realizing that not everyone who has one is a delinquent. Getting a tattoo is just another way that people are expressing themselves. It's the same as how you style your hair or what you're wearing -- only a little more permanent.
