Tattoos. There's a lot to be said about the subject. Some people like them, some people don't. Some people get them for a memory of someone or something, some people get them simply because they think they look cool. Some people only have one or two tiny ones, others are covered from head to toe. Regardless of your standpoint on the topic, one thing has to be acknowledged: tattoos are more popular now than they have ever been, and the fan base keeps growing.

Back in the early days of tattooing, there were basically two main groups of people who had tattoos: Hell's Angels and Navy sailors. As time progressed, however, tattoos gradually became mainstream, and now nearly 20% of Americans have tattoos, and an additional 17% are considering it, so the statistic continues to grow. Additionally, employers are no longer basing employment decisions off of the artwork on someone's skin.

Personally, I have 8 tattoos and out of all of them, 5 are visible, 6 if I wear shorts. Although the amount of tattooed individuals is growing and they are becoming more acceptable, there is still a stigma that comes along with the ink.

When I go out into public and people see my tattoos, the last thing they think is "he works with kids." of "he seems like a nice guy." More often its "he looks like he does or sells drugs" or "he's scary and I wouldn't trust him around my kids." I have already experienced and accepted this, and know that it's their early judgment and preconceived perceptions that make them think this way, and at no fault of my own. Little do they know that I'm an art counselor with a 4-year degree working on a teaching certification and also working a full-time job with overtime.

People choose to judge what they see first before they learn the truth and that's something anyone with visible tattoos knows first hand. In the end, however the meaning and value of the tattoos and what they mean to us is more than the judgments we face. I would never give up the yellow rose on my left arm for my mother, or the samurai head on my right leg for my group of friends, or any other tattoo I have just because it doesn't sit well with someone else. That's their problem. As a matter of fact, there's a whole slew of people I could have a full conversation with about my tattoos, where I got them, who I got them from, what they signify and a billion other questions, and that to me would be so much more valuable than being judged just because someone else thinks differently than me.