I have two tattoos. One is a sunflower on my left shoulder, the other is a small heart on my right hip. My parents only know about the sunflower tattoo.
I got my first tattoo when I was 17 the summer before my freshman year of college. My friend had a stick and poke kit and I had wanted a tattoo. A stick and poke is “a kind of tattooing that involves using a sharp point and some ‘ink’,” according to stickandpokekit.com. Although it is a permanent tattoo, over the years there is a higher chance of the tattoo fading away.
When I first got the tattoo I was both excited and worried. Excited because I had gotten my first tattoo and that I liked that design, but nervous because I hadn’t told my parents about it and I was worried about how they would react to a stick n poke. I’ve kept it a secret from them for the past two years now and I don’t plan on telling them.
Since then I’ve gotten another tattoo. My mom also has a tattoo and she knew that I’ve always wanted one. So when I told her about the sunflower tattoo she was really supportive. My dad wasn’t as happy with the idea of a tattoo, but also since then is fine with it.
Even though they know about the tattoo I have and are fine with it, I don’t need the see the need of telling them. It’s been two years now and I don’t think there’s ever a time to bring up it up and if they are fine with this tattoo, I don’t see why they would be upset with the other one.
On the other hand, I’m worried about them reacting to the fact that it was a stick n poke and wasn’t done by a professional. Growing up my mom told me that if I ever got a tattoo or a piercing, it had to be done professionally and in a safe environment; which is the opposite of a stick n poke. I don’t think that they would be mad, maybe disappointed, but it’s one of my favorite memories.
At first the tattoo didn’t have any meaning to me, but over time I realized that tattoos don’t have to have meaning to be valid. As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.