As I walked into the tattoo shop to make my appointment, I knew I was making the right decision. I've been wanting a tattoo since I was 18 years old and I had finally decided on what I wanted. I made the appointment for the following week and I called my family out of excitement.
My family has always disapproved of tattoos, so I knew this wasn't going to be an "oh we are so glad for you" phone call and more of a "well, you're an adult and you can do what you want" one.
Here are just a few of the things I've been hearing since I expressed my desire to be tattooed.
1. "Aren't you going to hate how it looks/regret it when you are old?"
Well, I'm probably not going to look that great anyway when I'm old and if I do I'll have fond memories of all my tattoos. So no, I will not regret them even when I am old.
2. "What about going to church? Do you really want to go to church with tattoos?"
Well, the last time I set foot in a church was over five years ago. If I were to go to church though, I would hope that would be the last place I was judged for my appearance. There are even handfuls of passages in the bible about not judging others.
3. "Your tattoos will look awful in your wedding dress."
The last thing I'm going to be thinking about on my wedding day is how I look; it's one of the most special days of my life and the only one whose opinion matters is mine and my spouse's. If anyone has a problem with me or how I look then they probably shouldn't be at my wedding anyway.
4. "It's permanent. What if you don't like it later in life?"
Most people get tattoos for their permanence and because of a deeper meaning behind them or an aesthetic design they truly love. If years from now I don't love my tattoo I'll still cherish it because of the deeper meaning. Tattoos fade, but the deep feelings that are attached to them stay forever. I've never heard someone say, "I regret caring so much about something that I wanted a tattoo of it."
Tattoo or not, it's your body so make it as awesome as you can and love it without judgement. It's the only one you get for your whole life.
