"You are going to regret that in a few years." "You are basically unemployable now." "Why would you want that on your body forever?" "That is stupid, you better figure out how to hide it." These are just a handful of the things people have told me about my tattoos and I am sick of hearing them.
I love both of my tattoos and don't regret getting them. I have always wanted tattoos. I just never thought I would get them because of the pain, which wasn't that bad. When I got my first tattoo, a cross on my right forearm, I was a nervous wreck. I was in Omaha with my roommate and I saw someone getting a tattoo on SnapChat and decided that I wanted to finally go for it and get one. I had a million ideas and finally settled on something simple and small.
My second one was a little more planned out. I went to the same place, Big Brain in Omaha (who I highly recommend! Here is their website!) I knew exactly what I wanted and where I wanted it. This one was a bit more painful because it was in a more sensitive area but it was manageable.
My second tattoo was what caused the most controversy among my friends, family and peers. They didn't get why I would get song lyrics tattooed on my body. Some of my close family members thought that since I had to explain the meaning behind my tattoo to everyone, that it was pointless of me to get it.
Let's get one thing straight, it doesn't matter what other people think of me or my tattoos, what does matter is how I feel about them. Obviously, I like both of my tattoos or else I wouldn't have gotten them. The meaning behind my second tattoo is beautiful. I love the song "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. In fact, they are one of my favorite bands, but that isn't why I got my second tattoo. This tattoo reminds me every time I see it that, no matter what happens, how much I fail, how badly I screw up or whatever kind of day I have, that I will always be loved by my Creator. I am the only one who needs to know that because I get my tattoos for myself, and no one else.
"You aren't going to find a job unless you cover them up." I don't think that having two marks on my body that are special to me will inhibit my ability to help children learn and thrive at school. I can use my tattoos as a teaching moment and help them understand that different and unique are two okay things in this world and that we shouldn't judge people based on looks alone.
I think that tattoos should be meanigful and thought over. You need to make sure that everything about the tattoo you are getting is perfect and exactly how you want it. You need to be picky when it comes to tattoos. Tattoos are beautiful works of art that everyone should have the right to get. No one should be judged for wanting to express themselves in the form of tattoos. Just because you don't like tattoos or don't want any yourself, doesn't give you the right to judge others based on their tattoos.
