People always question me about my tattoos. I have two on each arm that I rarely ever cover, and they bring about a lot of attention. I have a scorpion on my left forearm, an eagle on my left hand, a lion on my right bicep and a shark on my right wrist.
The questions people ask are always the same:
- “Do they have any meaning?”
- “Does it matter that people can see them?”
- “Which tattoo is your favourite?”
- “What are you going to do if you get old and regret them?”
My response: “Who cares?”
Seriously though. I’m a twenty-two year old carpenter and honestly, I couldn’t care less if I’m going to regret them or whether they have meaning. I got the tattoos done because I like them now. I literally got one done because I liked it in the moment, there’s no other justification necessary. I look back on it now and remember how into it I was, and that’s enough to satisfy me.
Life is all about living, and that’s what I’m doing. If someone told me to call a Melbourne tattoo studio right now and book a tattoo appointment, I’d do it. I’d find something I like. It’s all about the experience. Each new ink is a new memory.
My tattoo’s are evidence of my existence, that’s their meaning. If you ask me, they don’t have to mean anything more than that. I’ve been thinking about when I’ll get my next one. My mates bought me a tattoo voucher for my twenty-first birthday. Maybe I’ll get a picture of them drawn up. That one might satisfy people when they ask whether the tattoos have meaning. I’ve been considering getting it done on holidays, maybe I’ll visit a tattoo artist when I’m there next month.
My point is – life is short. Get yourself that tattoo that you want, or don’t want, because why not? We’re all looking to express ourselves somehow, and this is how I do it.