a Tattoo

[Shelley]

I'm actually seriously thinking about getting a tattoo. But I am sure I won't get one till I'm 18 : (

Do you know a reason why parents won't let their kids get a tattoo?
And does anyone here have a tattoo?

[amandajoyce]

I don't have a tatoo, but I know there is a stigma attached to tattos in some areas, which is kind of unfortunate. A lot of people, my mom included, seem to think that if you have a tatoo, that seems to mark you as a trouble maker, which I don't get at all. I like tatoos. I find them really interesting, especially what a person chooses to put on their body, considering its permanent. I thought about getting one while I was in college, but I wasn't sure how my mom would react to it. That, and I'm afraid of how much it will hurt. Haha.

You said you're thinking about getting one in the future, do you have any idea what you would want?

[Kat]

I think it's a good idea to wait until you're 18. At 23, I can look back at things I believed and like when I was 16 and see how much my tastes have changed. The main concern with a tattoo is you're stuck with it for life and if you change your mind...

I'm not really a fan of tattos in general but I think if I got one it would probably be somewhere people didn't see all the time (like my upper back), that just showed in bathing suits or whatever. I think I'd also like to get one that I associate with a particular event, like celebrating something, or remembering something. It makes the idea a little more appealing.

[onlymystory]

I have one tat so far, getting another in a month, and finishing my sleeve by the end of the year. Needless to say, I'm mildly obsessed. But for my list of advice on tattoos.
1) On the parents side, my other tattooed friends and I have discussed this and we think its because there is a complete generation gap when it comes to tattoos. Like most things were taboo for our grandparents, started growing in popularity with our parents and are normal for us. But tattoos were completely off limits to our parents. You were either military or a seedy criminal to be inked. Then our generation finds it completely normal. A ton of people have tattoos. And because of that gap, our parents never got that ease into it period.

2) Know what you want. And have it mean something. Not a huge thing (one friend has stars all over her arm and upper back because she loves stars and night time) but just have meaning to you.

3) Give yourself a little time to be sure what you want. A lot of people I know make it a good rule to give yourself a year to think about the particular design. It's there forever, so know you'll love it or at least like it forever.

4) Consider the career you want. If you can get your career (and a job that pays the bills in the meantime) by showing tattoos, great! If not, consider where you put that tattoo. It should be somewhere you can see it and show it off but also easy to cover up. My career of a writer means I don't have to care about my tattoos, but it also means that I have to wear long sleeves at work even when its hot. Not a huge sacrifice but it is something to be aware of.

But personally, I think tattoos are great. And this sounds weird but its a good pain. Mine kinda tickled but most people will say the reward is worth the pain.

This is what my tattoo looks like, btw. At least the current one, soon to be more .

[Skylight;]

I'd love to get a tattoo! But my mom said no. But my cousins gotten one and he's my dad's favourite nephew so I think I'll use that to my advantage. I'd love to get something written in my wrist. I'm not quite sure what but I want it to be something meaningful... maybe "To Write Love On Her Arms" or something Or maybe a lightening bolt. I was searching and find quite a few people with lightening bolt tattoos on their side which looks so cool and doesn't even show all the time.

[Shelley]

onlymystory: Indeed, lots of people connect rebels with tattoos. Most of the time those tattoos have special meanings to them!
your tattoo is awesome! what does it stand for?

@arshi; I remember you talking about To Write Love On Her arms. I thought it about while I was reading the first sentence of your reply!
And a lightning bolt sounds so cool for a tattoo. But would you take a lightning bolt as a tattoo just for show or would you give it a special meaning?

@kat: Yeah, your right! it could also be that this is just a hype for now for me and maybe in two years I''m not interested anymore.

amandajoyce: I'm not sure yet, but I would love to get a little English flag on my wrist or maybe on my ankle. England is so important to me and I have been dreaming of living there for a couple of years now.

[Skylight;]

Feb 27, 2010 13:44:57 GMT -5 Shelley said:

@arshi; I remember you talking about To Write Love On Her arms. I thought it about while I was reading the first sentence of your reply!
And a lightning bolt sounds so cool for a tattoo. But would you take a lightning bolt as a tattoo just for show or would you give it a special meaning?

yea I think "To Write Love On Her Arms" would be so awesome as a tattoo on my arms or wrist... and it would be beyond meaningful..
Lightening bolt for me would definitely be meaningful. In fact here's a post I made in a thread about destiny/fate a while ago.

Oct 13, 2009 19:22:03 GMT -5 Skylight; said:

So for my 16th birthday my parents got me a diamond necklace. So when I first saw it, all I saw was a fancy looking design. That's how my parents saw it as well. Then my cousin looks at it and she says "it looks kinda like Harry Potter's scar" and I just laughed it off. I mean it probably wasn't meant to look like a lightening bolt.

Today I went on the website of the jewelry story my parents bought the necklace for and when I'm looking at the necklaces I see the one I got and it's called "Lightening Bolt Diamond Necklace"

Now, I personally think that if anyone gets a tattoo it should be something that is meaningful to them. This might seem kinda off topic but it's not. I think that tattoos shouldn't just be pictures people get put on their skin because they look cool, they should have a story behind them and they should be important to the person who has them. I really want a tattoo. I probably won't ever get one but I want one. One of the thing's I've considered getting a tattoo of is a lightening bolt because it is meaningful to me and it has a story behind it.

My favourite superhero is The Flash. And The Flash's symbol is a lightening bolt. I can't describe how special The Flash is to me. I really can't and nobody would ever really understand it. The Flash has taught me that even if you aren't the most responsible person you have to try your hardest no matter what. The Flash has taught me that even though it may hurt you have to smile and not the others around you feel the pain as well.

My parents bought the necklace thinking it was just a cool design but what are the odds that the one they picked was actually intended to be a lightening bolt, something that has such significant value to me.

Isn't it ironic how I mention tattoo there as well

[onlymystory]

Mine's for screenwriting. The quill and ink well for the writing part and then the comedy/tragedy masks for theatre. I was going to do a simple outline, smaller of each on my wrists but my tattoo guy asked if he could draw up a different design for me to at least take a look at but I could say no. He drew it, I said that's genius and perfect, do it! So this is what I ended up with. I rub it in a lot of friend's faces who's first tattoos were about the size of a square inch.

@shelley If you go with the English flag, I would ask if you love the history and literature and stuff of England too or just the dream of living there. Cuz it would suck to have the tattoo and then go live there and hate it. But if you love all things British, living there is just a bonus, go for it. And second, whenever you do a multi-colored tattoo, it needs to be a little bigger, otherwise in 10 years it will just be a blob. So be prepared to get a decent sized tattoo.

@skylight I bet you could find a good tattoo artist who could combine the lightning bolt and the words "to write love on her arms". I mean, not that you have to but if you ever wanted just one and couldn't decide most tattoo artists love finding ways to combine concepts.

[tina91]

I also have a Tattoo and I really like them.
But at first my mum said no, but after a year or something when I still wanted the same one she said yes. So be patient ^^

[onlymystory]

I thought of something else on this topic for those thinking of getting a tattoo. You'll get addicted. Its sort of a joke it seems like but once you get one you'll want more.