It's HUGE... You'll never get a job now... You look like a coloring book... What the hell does it mean? You do realize that is permanent, right?

I usually just smile and nod when I hear something like this, then I follow up with the usual response of, Yeah, I know. I've heard this already.

I'm not the type of person to sit here and argue with someone about a decision I made that I felt strongly enough about to stick with for the rest of my life. I'm not saying this in a rude way, but quite frankly I do not care what your opinion is.

Prior to my most recent tattoo, I got one on my stomach and one small one on my wrist. I knew what I was in for with this large piece because I actually had a stranger at my job go out of his way to question me about my small wrist tattoo.

He first seemed really interested in asking about it, which is sometimes fun for me. I like to talk about the process and some details about the tattoo. But when he asked what it meant I cringed a bit.

I left out some of the in-depth meaning and gave him my short response, which in turn he decided to disagree with. He told me that my interpretation was completely wrong and that he doesn't believe my outlook is correct.

My outlook on my tattoo was incorrect.

Somehow I kept my cool and just told him that I respect his opinion. He decided to inform me that "the more tattoos I get, the more a**holes like me you'll have to deal with." And damn was he right.

So to all of the people out there who are skeptical of tattoos and feel the need to make negative comments toward those who have tattoos, this is for you.

To get a tattoo, you have to love it. You have to spend an absolute minimum of $50-$60 on it, and that is for the most basic designs out there. Color, shading and of course size jack up that price into the hundreds and sometimes thousands.

We sit through hours upon hours of having needles repeatedly drilled into our bodies to place the designs there permanently. Most of us don't mind the pain too much, but I'll be the first to admit that it is NOT an enjoyable experience.

After the session we have to take care of it by cleaning it, moisturizing it and monitoring closely every little thing that could potentially come into contact with it. Basically, it becomes our new child to protect and love.

We put up with the swelling, oozing and soreness over the first few days. Then we deal with the itching that we can't scratch, the ugly scabbing/peeling phase and finally we get the finished result.

It's a journey we sign up for when we get a new tattoo, not just a quick decision. Avoiding infection, color loss and damage to a tattoo is a huge task to take on. If not done properly, the money and time we spent can go right down the drain.

Yes, our tattoos will fade and change as our bodies age and change as well, but that's the beauty in it. The tattoo you invest in, that means something to you, will be with you forever, no matter how wrinkly you get.

We understand that we signed up for a lifetime of comments, questions and concerns about our tattoos, but we did not agree to be bashed and brought down for the rest of our lives either.

So next time you see someone with a tattoo you may not like, appreciate the beauty of the process, or at least respect it. I'm sure you'll still have a negative response and you will most likely still tell the person how you feel, but at least try and think it through first.

That person isn't telling you that your car is ugly or you're overweight -- they're most likely just going about their day like they normally do.

Sincerely,

A tattooed, employed and happy person