Trashy, ghetto, ugly, unattractive, unfeminine and plenty more. These are just some of the words that seem to come to mind when seeing someone walk down the street who has a tattoo. But why do these seem to come to mind? Because someone in jail decides to get a tattoo, or because a tall buff man has a tattoo? One person in jail with a tattoo should not represent every single person who decides to get a tattoo.
My first tattoo was at 17. Second one at 18. And I am still the same person I was when I first got tattooed. Maybe different from other outside experiences and personal situations, but as a direct result from my tattoos I have not changed at all. I am not a gang member, I am not a drug dealer, I am not on a path to jail and I am definitely not going to give up on my goals because I have two tattoos. I know as well that there are many more tattoos to come in the future for me. What bothers me is that I cannot choose what to put on my own body without having to double think if I will not get hired for my dream job because I have a simple meaningful and personal tattoo.
In past times when I have asked to get my tattoos, my mom has always said “only cows get branded.” Of course I have all the love in the world for my mom, but I do not agree. I am not branding myself like a cow as she says. I enjoy tattoos. The point is not to brand myself as any specific person or as part of something, but its for myself. I feel that tattoos are a form of art, a way to express yourself. It's something you care for and it means something to you whether it be a portrait of a family member or just a flower, a heart or anything of that nature. What is on my body does not affect my motivation and drive to be successful. I go everyday with the same drive to make my parents proud of me with or without my tattoos. It is now the 21st century. Tattoos are becoming more and more popular. Yet for as popular as they become, they still are recognized as being gang-related or just trashy. Plenty of jobs do not hire if you have visible tattoos or tattoos in general. But I can assure you that a tattoo has no correlation with someone’s work ethic or skill. My zodiac sign tattoo on my wrist does not slow me down in class nor in everyday life. So why judge someone walking down the street because they have a tattoo somewhere on their body? We are so quick to call someone with a tattoo a criminal or someone who doesn’t care for their body when for the most part it’s the opposite. Maybe they just wanted to get a tattoo for fun, maybe it has a deeper meaning behind it, maybe they got the tattoo because they just wanted a tattoo. Simple as that. Not all criminals have tattoos, and not all tattoos define you as a criminal.
Yes, tattoos are permanent, so yes, be smart with what you put on your body. But like I said before, it's your body. Tattoos being permanent does not give anyone room to judge what’s being put on your body. Being a girl with tattoos isn’t a reason to be judged either. Girls with tattoos aren't automatically lesbian or a boy. I truly believe as it is 2016 we should work more towards getting rid of the connection between tattoos and being a criminal or thug. Tattoos should not define your personality or your career. Tattoos are something personal, not a group decision or your job's decision. If tattoos are a form of branding myself, then I brand myself for who I am and who I want to be. I brand myself for excellence, not disgrace.
