Tattoos. Art, inspiration, dedication, meaning. These are the words that come to my mind when I think of tattoos. Tattoos have been around for such a long time and people view them in so many different ways. They tell stories, provide constant reminders, show culture and express feelings and ideas. Yes, they can be painful and very time-consuming, but I think that just adds to how great they are. Knowing someone endured pain and someone else took the time to sit with that person to give them something to be proud of is amazing. People get to show off their art and get to represent their lives on their skin; they get to carry around these pieces with them every single day! If that does not sound like the coolest thing you have ever heard, I don’t know what does.
In today’s society you can hardly ever walk down the street without seeing someone with an arm full of colors, shapes and words or hear someone talking about the next thing the will get inked onto their body. I think for my generation, tattoos have become something to be used to display and give insight to everything about a person. I have two tattoos (and I can't wait to get more) that have so much meaning behind them. They are quite simple but if a stranger looked at them they would probably think, "what does that even mean?".
My first tattoo was a row of three arrows; I decided to go with something simple and quick since this was the first. I chose this because it was a way for me to represent my two sisters and myself. I thought to myself, as I walked into the shop, “am I really about to do this? Is it going to hurt as bad as people make it seem?”. I can say I definitely psyched myself out, thinking it was going to be so painful, but I quickly realized five seconds into it that I was going to survive. My second tattoo is XXI, the roman numeral for 21. When I got this tattoo it was to commemorate the celebration of my 21st birthday and on our last day of spring break, as we got ready to leave San Diego, my roommate Myles and I decided to go for it and splurge on a tattoo.
Like most, I mindlessly assumed that tattoos just magically healed in no time. While for some it may seem like that, other tattoos may take longer; there is more than one factor that affects how a tattoo heals. I received all these instructions on what to do with it and how to take care of it once the tattoo artist finished. Both times I walked out of the shop excited and ready to show off my new ink. Once I got home, I remembered you have to keep it clean, cover it with a healing cream or lotion, do not constantly touch it or let others touch it, let it peel and whatever you do, keep from scratching it! No one thing is more important than another because they are all a part of an entire process.
I think tattoos are a beautiful form of expression and a great way to commemorate everything a person loves and/or believes.
