1.“Won’t it be hard to get a job?”
Of course, there are many professions, (lawyers, doctors, etc.) that enforce a person to cover-up any visible tattoos . However, if a person is qualified for the job, I do not see any reason for a tattoo to be the single cause of not being hired. The stigma that tattoos are “unprofessional” or “trashy” is absurd, there are people from all walks of life that proudly display tattoos. Unless they are offensive or inappropriate, how is another person’s body modification affecting anyone else?
2.“Does it mean anything, why did you get it?”
The truth is, there isn’t always an underlying meaning behind a tattoo. I personally get them because it’s something I drew, something that represents me, or something that I just simply liked. Similar to a piece of artwork hung in a person’s home, a tattoo is chosen specifically because that is what the person wants; it’s a permanent form of self-expression and wasn’t necessarily intended to please everyone else.
3.“Do you regret any of your tattoos?"
I have seen many REALLY poorly done tattoos.. Some of these people may look at the four-leaf clover their friend tattooed on their arm in their mom’s basement five years ago and absolutely despise it, while others look at old tattoos and reminisce in passed memories. Personally, I don’t regret any of my tattoos. They are all carefully chosen and planned out over a series of time to ensure that they are exactly what I want.
4.“Aren’t you worried about them looking bad when you’re older?”
Let’s be real here, when I’m 75 years old and can barely walk to the bathroom, the quality of my tattoos is going to be the least of my worries. Not to mention it will still signify specific memories and provide a good story to tell the grandchildren. Lastly, as I age I would rather my tattoos look the same age as me, rather than looking brand new and sort of out of place.
5.“Did it hurt? I’m afraid of getting one.”
As you can imagine, needles poking into your skin 1000’s of times isn’t the most pleasurable feeling. However, tattoo addicts like myself sort of like the feeling in a weird way- you become numb to the pain. It also really depends where the tattoo is located. For example, the tattoo on my ribcage was excruciatingly painful, whereas the tattoo on my tricep was like a paperclip rubbing against my skin.
6.“How many more are you going to get?”
I don’t think anyone has a certain goal for the number of tattoos they plan to get; I for one get them whenever I think of a new one I want, so I’m sure the amount will increase over the years. Many people like to be spontaneous and tattoos can be a good way achieve that. They’re extremely addictive so it can become hard to stop sometimes.
7.“You better slow down, you’re going to run out of skin.”
Even though people are usually joking when they say this, it still slightly bothers me. There is no limit to how many tattoos a person can get; they could continue to get tattoos until there literally is nowhere else to put one. There is nothing wrong with wanting to cover yourself in ink, and more power to the people who are filling their blank canvases with creativity.
