Tattoos are becoming more and more common. As I walk through malls, downtown streets, and into businesses, I start to see more and more tattoos. There seems to be a connection between the person and why they received the tattoo. I can't help but wonder the significance of the tattoo. In order to see the different connections between people and their body art, I decided to ask them to tell me about their tattoos, and what they represented for them.
Savannah Greenquist, 19, FSU
"My tattoo is of a lion with the zodiac Leo symbol in it because I'm a Leo myself. It's extremely important to me because it serves as a reminder to always be strong willed, confident, and loyal. It's there to represent who I am and who I want to be."
Hailey Wistner, 20, UWF
"That tattoo is a collaboration piece between my sister and I, who are really close. She also has a compass but a different interpretation based on personal tattooing styles. When we were little girls, my Mom used to always tell us that no matter what happened, we would always have each other, so it kind of embodies the idea of a True North and how no matter how we lose our way, we will always find each other in times of struggle. The flower represents our Mom because it is in her favorite colors and the waves and captain's wheel represent where we grew up, Florida, and how much I love the water."
Torri White, 20
“The whole meaning of my tattoo goes along with the actual story of Peter Pan, how he would take children away to Neverland after they passed away and they'd be young forever. My cousin Kameron passed away three weeks shy of his fourth birthday and the last promise I made to him was that we would watch Peter Pan the next time I came over and he carried around a teddy bear just like the youngest brother in the movie which is why the youngest is lighter than all the other ones to symbolize that he's not completely there but he's watching.”
Tristy Holmes, 19
"Every part of him represents something that I try to strive for everyday. He has a big head, to think big. Large ears to listen more. Small eyes to concentrate. A small mouth to talk less. One broken tusk, and one normal tuck to represent keeping the good and getting rid of the bad. The mouse at his feet represents keeping your desires under control. All of those are reminders that I carry with me always, and remind myself of the good I can do."
Makayla DeSpain, 19
“This was my very first tattoo when I was 17. It was spontaneous, but I knew what I wanted. This is a Kokopelli Indian playing guitar, and my dad's very first guitar. One thing me and him could always connect about was music, so I figured it was a nice fit. Also he was completely against the idea of me getting a tattoo, but when he found out what it was, how could he say no? I'm happy knowing I will always have a part of him, and a nice one at that.”
Africa Ramirez, 18
“Why this tattoo is important to me is because it's a constant reminder for me to keep going that I literally can go the distance. It's based on the Disney song 'Go the Distance' from 'Hercules,' and it's a constant reminder over one of my scars that I just have to keep pushing forward no matter what. It's my symbol of strength in my own words.”
Julia Marie, 20
“My faith in God gives me the strength to do the things I do. To get through the trouble and hard times I have or had to over come in the last few years.”
Christal Ingerman, 18
“I decided to get my second tattoo, 'Joy,' for my grandmother who passed when I was younger. Joy also happens to be my middle name, so they both have really significant meanings to my decision in getting it. I decided to insert a cross onto the tail of the letter 'y' in memory of her passing. While deciding on the tattoo itself, I also decided to place the tattoo on my upper left chest near my heart in remembrance. Joy also happens to be a universal word used to imply happiness! Overall, it's a very meaningful tattoo to me and it happens to be my favorite out of the three I currently have.”
Debra Bigelow-Jordan, 43
“[My tattoo] is looking over Simba because I will always look over my son and will forever be there for him. Simba, Devyn has because he will always be my Wild-child of the land. We had them done together because "Lion King" was our favorite movie when he was growing up.”
Sarah Chism, 24
“On May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill gave a speech to the House of Commons in which he asked for a vote of confidence in his impending term as prime minister. In that speech, he said, 'I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.' Which, in a sense, is all any human being could ever offer anybody. So Churchill was essentially saying, 'all I can give you is my everything,' which has stuck with me since I began studying history. Churchill was named prime minister at quite possibly the lowest point in British history -- World War II. Britain was an obvious target for Hitler and the Nazis, who had just taken France when Churchill gave this speech. He was tasked with the enormous burden of taking care of a country that was inevitably going to be attacked by some of the strongest forces the world has ever seen. And yet that is what he says, 'I will give you everything I have.' Churchill has always been my favorite historical figure, but that phrase means more to me than just that. It is a constant reminder of how I want to live my life -- to pour my heart and soul into everything I do. I look at it every day and I often think, ‘I don't have to fight Nazis. Today is a good day.’”
Cray Stephenson
“The Celtic Cross and the Triquetra (AKA Trinity Knot) tie my religious beliefs with my Celtic (Pagan) ancestry. They have my sons initial and birth dates on them and the Celtic knotwork bands go around my arms. This symbolizes me being bound to them for eternity (the knot work really has no beginning or end). Each of the bands are different from each other, like my sons.”
Brittany and Christa Ioakim, 18
“I got my tattoo because I wanted it before my sister left for college as a constant reminder she's still with me every step of the way. I wouldn't just get anything permanent on my body, it had to be really important to me and I could think of anything more important than my sister."
