"My body is my journal and my tattoos are my story."  Johnny Depp

We live in a generation that is less conservative than previous generations and unafraid to be different and stand out from the crowd. Tattoos have been around for a long time and have steadily grown in popularity, throughout the years. For some, tattoos are more of a taboo than an art, but for those who are tatted, they hold meaning that will stay with them forever.

I relate to what Johnny Depp said about tattoos. As of now, I only have one tattoo, but it still holds meaning and is part of my own personal story. “We see things they’ll never see, maybe you’re the same as me,” is what I have quoted, matching my two best friends. That’s only the beginning of telling my story through tattoos on my body. Strangers may look at me and think what a shame that girl has ruined her body. I don’t see like that. It’s my body and if I want to decorate it with tattoos to help tell my story of who I am, then I can.

As a college student, this is an important stage of my life because I am working towards my future career. On Facebook and other social media platforms, I have seen people post about how they couldn’t get hired because of their tattoos. I know some jobs want you to hide your tattoos but, for some people, it isn’t so easy to hide their tattoos. I understand that it doesn’t look professional to be covered in tattoos, but that shouldn’t impact whether the person is qualified for the job or not. There’s even a campaign about being employed and tatted. 

Jobs and companies should not discriminate against tattoos. I can understand if it is for religious reasons, because some religions do not approve of tattoos, but if it is just because it is deemed “unprofessional,” that is not fair. Just because someone is covered in tattoos, does not automatically make him or her an ex-convict or a fugitive from jail; it just makes them human and part of the tatted club. I have heard of some jobs even hiring the person who didn’t have any tattoos, over the person who had tattoos, even though were not a better fit for the position. 

Tattoos are becoming more popular and are a trend that won’t fade away anytime soon. It’s time for people to embrace that times are changing and body art is just one of the things that is on the rise.