I got my first tattoo for my 18th birthday. I had wanted one for a long time and being under 18 was the only thing that stood between me and the gun. So a few months after I turned 18, I made an appointment and sat down for what was the beginning of an addiction.
That was two years ago, and now I have nine. Every time I get one I get harassed by my family. I get bombarded with the same questions and statements every time.
"Another one?"
"You're going to run out of skin."
"Where are you getting the money for these?"
"You hate needles, yet you'll get a tattoo."
"That's a horrible idea."
"What if an employer sees it?"
My response is usually to ignore them because I should not have to explain my decisions when it comes to my body.
I didn't ask you where you got the money for that surgery or ask why you're getting another Botox injection, did I?
No, I didn't. So stop asking me.
What I do with my body is absolutely no one's business unless I am physically harming myself.
While yes, the process of getting a tattoo is typically pretty painful, it is not going to kill me or cause any bodily harm.
It's a form of self-expression.
Tattooing is an art form. Just as with painting or drawing, the process takes a while. Coming up with an idea, finding an artist, drawing the idea out, placement, actually getting the tattoo.
The end product is a portable piece of artwork that, if visible, anyone can look at when you walk by.
They don't necessarily have to mean anything either. People without tattoos love to ask the question, "What does it mean?"
It means it was badass so I got it. Who cares if they mean anything?
The giant mandala piece on my sternum has no significance to my life at all. I don't follow Asian culture, and I am not a Buddhist. It was pretty, so I got it.
We do not have to justify our art to you just because you don't understand it.
Just because we have body modifications does not mean that we are horrible people and need to be looked down on.
We are not Satanists, and we are not going to try to take over the world one tattoo or piercing at a time.
We are normal people who choose to express ourselves through pictures and piercings. To look at me you would have no idea I had any tattoos if I was wearing jeans and a normal T-shirt.
Just because you may not agree with it does not mean you need to degrade me.
My body, my rules. I do not need your approval to decorate it.
Not to sound cliche, but your body is a temple. Decorate it's walls. They are beautiful to begin with, but some people want a little extra something.
And there is nothing wrong with that.