November 11, 2012

Tattoo

Dear mom and dad, I’ve looked up to your guidance while growing up and you’ve never let me down or let me go askew. Your opinion has always been the most important so your permission and acceptance means everything. Which is why this is such a meaningful topic to discuss, in detail, with the both of you. I understand both of your views on tattoos already, and the way they come across to other people, which I know also concerns you. I’m hoping though to wane you away from those thoughts for just a few moments, and listen to mine. I desire getting this specific tattoo because, it is sentimental to me, it’d help me through my anxiety and depression, and it is small and elegant.

There is usually a reason, or a story behind someone’s tattoo. Sometimes it is really inspiring and meaningful, and other times it was just an excuse to get another one to their collection. Since it has become so common for people to get meaningless tattoos it has slowly ruined the reputation of them, and has taken away the beauty and art of the ones that do represent something significant to the person wearing it on their skin.

The main significance behind the tattoo I want relates to you, daddy. Most people have a prominent memory from something that was reoccurring in their childhood, like a place, or a smell, mine is a song. Remember all those days driving around while you played your CDs trying to teach me the “good old music,” like Fats Domino, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys. Especially The Beach Boys. You’d quietly sing “Don’t Worry Baby” while casually looking back at me in the back seat, like self-consciously reassuring yourself and me, that everything was going to be alright. But back then that constant reminder went through one ear and out the other, and I paid no attention to it, it was just an everyday routine. So now, I realize all that time I was trying to grow up as quick as I could and I began turning off The Beach Boys and replacing it with the newest pop song, I was turning that routine into a memory.  As time goes on we are both growing older, and time to relive this memory and reminder is running out. So, having the phrase “Don’t Worry Baby” tattooed on my wrist will keep the memory with me forever.

During the time I would hear this repeated phrase I was little and still learning about life and all that it comes with, as I still am today, so I didn’t know much about stress or what to worry about, making the valuable reminder meaningless. Now that I’m learning of and dealing with the stresses of life, worrying will get the best of me. Both of you have held me together to the best of your ability, with your open arms on a weekly basis for my sobbing self, mom, and you being there as fast as you can with just one phone call, dad. But as I grow older and continue to struggle through my anxiety and depression I won’t always have the comfort of your arms to go to, and the distance will become too far to travel no matter how many phone calls. I know you both feel helpless sometimes, watching me go through things either because of my depression, or just regular teenage drama, and not knowing how to help or what to say but I do need to slowly learn how to deal with incidents on my own. This phrase would be more than a childhood memory, since worrying is the core of my anxiety. Every time I would look down whether I’m about to have a break down or am having a good day, it’d still be a reminder not to worry, and everything would be alright.

The meaning and significance of the tattoo is a main portion of the decision making of actually getting one I believe, but also the price and visibility are factors. The price of a tattoo depends on many different characteristics of it such as, color, location, size, and complexity. Since I am still young, and this would be my first tattoo I would want it done very simple. No color, and quite small, also for issues concerning visibility. A brightly colored tattoo tends to cost more than just a solid black being used like I want.  I understand the difficulty of covering up a wrist tattoo for a job, or any professional setting but it isn’t impossible. For instance it’d be small, elegant and simple so easily hidden by a couple of bracelets or long sleeved shirt. I currently don’t have a job though and during the time it needed to be bandaged I would not participate within settings where visibility could cost me something important.

You both are probably thinking about my blood and needle phobia and wondering how I could even withstand the process of getting a tattoo. I have learned though that the needle of the tattoo gun only goes in 1/16^th of an inch,  and the little to no blood that is produced gets wiped away before I probably could even realize . Also, everything the tattoo will mean to me after the frightening process is over will make it worth it.

In conclusion, this tattoo would be more than just some ink in my skin to be “cool.” I have put a tremendous amount of thought into this, especially for being my first tattoo. It would represent a memory in my childhood, it would help me to continue moving forward, and it would be simple and easy. Thank you for giving me these couple of moments to share my insight on this. Cami.