As a junior in college, I’ve reached the age where it’s not uncommon for my peers to have tattoos. Guys and girls alike are inking themselves with tiny anecdotes, meaningful symbols or sometimes giant illustrations. Big or small, the many older adults seem to think tattoos are a regrettable trend.

I’ve heard many stories of, “My mom cried when she saw mine,” or “My grandma still doesn’t know." The older generations seem to have the connotation that tattoos are a symbol of carelessness. “You’ll never get a job if you have ink all up your arm,” they say. Well, I’m here to ask, “Why not?”

I grew up in a household where my parents didn’t like tattoos. While they would never look down on someone who had them, they just didn’t prefer them for their kids. Luckily, they raised a very indecisive daughter, so a permanent mark on my body is a risk they don’t have to worry about me taking. That being said, I like tattoos.

When you are young, your parents' opinions are often your opinions, so I never thought I would grow to like tattoos. While I would not get one myself, as I get older, I’ve come to really understand and appreciate a beautiful tattoo. When a friend from high school got three substantial tattoos all within a short amount of time, I asked the stereotypical question that was somewhere along the lines of, “How do you know you’ll still like them in five years?" His response, “I don’t."

That’s when I realized that tattoos are art. To be able to mark your body with the intention of it being there forever, because something is that meaningful to you. Tattoos are a commitment, but they are a beautiful one. Not liking them in five years? That’s a risk people take to prove that something means something to them, to show the world that this is something you want to represent for the rest of your life (unless your drunk and stupid).

So why wouldn’t you get a job with tattoos up your arm? In 2018, are people really going to judge? And if you do, don’t you have more problems than people with ink on their arms?