Tattoos take time and pain. There are many things that come with tattoos, such as responsibility to properly care for one.  They must be kept well moisturized and clean otherwise an infection can happen.  Part of that responsibility comes for the age requirement to get tattoos. I support the age limit being 18 because anyone younger would not be an adult and might not get a tattoo they would like years later. They are permanent, unless someone wants to try expensive and painful removal procedures, and that is why I encourage everyone to think before getting a tattoo.

I have two tattoos. I love them both equally and I plan on getting more when I can. When I was younger I never wanted any tattoos and even when I got my first I was still wary about it. What made me decide to do it was the significance behind that tattoo.

 I got my first tattoo done during spring break my first year at Simpson College. It is part of a quote and my sister has the other half of the quote. The quote together says, “Together forever never apart…maybe in distance but never in heart.”  It is on my left thigh. 

My second one is more recent; it is the Deathly Hallows symbol from Harry Potter and it says “always” underneath. It is located the front side of my right shoulder.

Many people have complimented them, while others have not been so kind. I have been called “trash” for having tattoos. I have also been asked if I will regret them later and my answer is always no. My tattoos will always mean something to me and they will always remind me of that specific time in my life when I got them. I also will never regret any more I will get. Both of my tattoos are in easily coverable areas and I thought them both through for years before I got them.

So why do I and many others get ridiculed for expressing ourselves through tattoos? There are many people today who have tattoos, including many I love. For example, my dad. He has multiple tattoos, and as some may not expect from someone with tattoos, he is an incredibly hardworking and driven person.

Having tattoos has never brought him down or stopped him from getting a job. I have never looked at my dad as anything less than an inspiring, hardworking role model. So then what is so wrong about tattoos? In my opinion, along with many others, there is nothing wrong with it.

I have always been told to have my tattoos covered for work, but that is the most anyone has said in regards to my tattoos. According to Stapaw.com, 42% of adults in the United States have a tattoo and 73% of people said they would hire staff with a visible tattoo. Since these numbers are so high, it makes me question why people still feel the need to have a negative outlook on tattoos.

There are clearly plenty of people who have them. I am not saying that people who don’t have tattoos are lesser than those who do, but why should someone without get picked over someone who does? Tattooed or not, we are each our own person and should be able to do whatever we want with our own bodies. I truly believe that I can do any job with my tattoos and they shouldn’t hold me back.