I have four tattoos, and I’m 19 years old. Yes, I know that they will be there for the rest of my life, even the crazy ones, and I’m proud of it.
Everyone has their own opinions of tattoos and whether they like them or not. To me, tattoos can tell stories, and they can represent memories of someone’s life. My favorite part about my tattoos is that I can look back at the part of my life I was at when I got them. I am always fascinated by people’s stories about their tattoos, so I thought that I would share the stories behind a few of mine.
I got my first tattoo in high school when I had freshly turned 18. I was definitely more rebellious in high school than I am now, and my parents weren’t exactly up for the idea of me getting tattoos when I still lived under their roof (“my house, my rules”). I wanted one so badly, and I was under the belief that I was 18 and could do whatever I wanted because I was finally an adult. So what did I do? I got a tattoo. It’s a tiny bow and arrow on my foot to represent my zodiac sign, Sagittarius.
Being as a sophomore in college now, I wouldn’t have gotten this tattoo, but I still love it. I got it just because I wanted a tattoo so badly, and getting one on my foot was easy for me to hide from my parents. It’s too late now, the tattoo is there forever, and it’s a part of me. When I look at my tiny tattoo now, it takes me back to when I was in high school, when life wasn’t as stressful, and I ate my mom’s cooking every night. It makes me think of the days when my high school friends, and I would stay out until midnight driving around our small hometown, not realizing that in a few short months we wouldn’t be as close ever again.
A lot of people think I’m absolutely insane for getting a matching tattoo with a girl that I met my freshman year of college. We were roommates, and we both are pretty much crazy cat ladies, so we got matching cat tattoos on our ankles. We got them when we were still getting to know each other, about two months after we met. A year later, I’m so happy that I did it. Getting a tattoo with a girl that is now my best friend is the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but also one of the best. We’re more than friends, we’re soulmates; and I’m so glad that I’m going to have this weird cat tattoo connection with the girl that became my best friend so quickly my freshman year.
Overall, I think that tattoos are an amazing way to express yourself and to make yourself more unique than you already are. I plan on getting more in the future. The stories and the memories that I have attached to them will always be something I can look back on and smile at.