Having recently made an appointment to get my first tattoo, I can say that I have definitely put a lot of consideration, necessary or not, into the idea. When I tell people that I am getting inked the reaction is pretty much the same — disbelief.

I get a lot of “you do not look the tattoo type.” I hate that people think you have to look a certain way or have a certain personality in order to sport a tattoo and it is annoying that tattoos are so often associated with corruption.

I am the kind of person who likes to be prepared, sometimes to a fault, so naturally I did a lot of research on the subject before I made my appointment. While scouring several different websites, I learned that tattoos were actually found present on multiple mummies, both male and female, that dated back to circa. 2000 B.C.

Tattoos even then were very personal and according to an article featured on smithsonianmag.com, they represented “status symbols, declarations of love, [and] signs of religious beliefs;” so why this bad stigma seems to linger on tattoos I have no idea.

When considering my own tattoo, the first thing I thought about was placement.

I am not a big fan of largely visible tattoos, partially because of the whole issue about what is and is not appropriate in the workplace. I brought up the issue with my roommate who has tattoos and she said that as far as jobs go, she really does not worry about her ink saying, “I believe people are becoming more liberal with those things. I could cover mine up if necessary, but I do not think I should have to because having a tattoo does not make me more or less qualified.”

While this is a great point, I am still wary about getting mine in an evident place so I am getting my tattoo in an area that is rarely visible. Then there are those who would argue “Why get a tattoo if no one is going to be able to see it?” To people of this opinion, I would say I am not getting a tattoo for others, I am getting it for myself so why should I care if anyone else can see it?

I have also heard all the arguments about tattoos being a bad idea because they look awful with age. I hate to be all YOLO and everything, it is too cliché, but I strongly believe that you should do what makes you happy. If it means getting a tattoo, then you should do it. That is exactly what I am doing.

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