Tattoos are an art form, and it takes a great deal of artistic talent to create a detailed well designed tattoo. I used to be one of those people with preconceived notions about tattoos and the types of people who had them. I was entirely against tattoos, and I didn’t think I’d ever have one – until I met my husband. My husband has several tattoos, and for the first time in my life, I realized the artistic value and profound emotional expression of quality tattoo art. I decided to get a ring of forget-me-not flowers around my ankle, and my reasons for getting that particular tattoo weren’t merely cosmetic. I chose to get that tattoo at one of the lowest points in my life, and its significance is much more than skin-deep.
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Choosing a Tattoo
When I decided to get a tattoo, I didn’t take that decision lightly, and since tattoos are permanent, I realized I had one chance to make the right choice. Some of the best times of my life were spent in the upper peninsula of Michigan, and I loved the tiny blue blooms with bright yellow centers known as forget-me-not flowers that grow along the banks of rivers and lakes. I decided I wanted to have them forever adorning my ankle. Forget-me-not flowers seemed like the perfect choice, especially since they were a symbol of better times, and at this particular time in my life, in some ways, I was feeling about as low as humanly possible.
Although I had recently met a man who seemed to love me inside as well as out truly, I was still hurting from being taken advantage of by someone I had considered a friend. This person was someone I had tried to help, but instead of repaying me with kindness and simply repaying me, he took advantage of my generosity and threw me away like an old shoe. He stomped on my heart, emptied my credit card account, and ultimately got away with theft. In a period of two years, I had seen more dishonesty and greediness than I have seen in my entire life, but I didn’t let it break my spirit entirely.
Along with a few other pressing matters that clouded my mind, I felt as if life couldn’t get any more difficult or any more disappointing, but I wasn’t a quitter. Finally met someone who wasn’t out to use or deceive me, and despite the overwhelming sadness I felt deep within, somehow I was happy. I realized that real friendship and love were worth more than any amount of material possessions or money, and the man who took advantage of my generosity and kindness would never have anything or anyone. I wanted a tattoo, and I wanted a permanent ring of forget-me-not flowers around my left ankle.
The Pain of Getting a Tattoo
Besides wanting to have a symbol of happiness and a reminder of a place I love forever embellished around my ankle, I had a deeper reason for wanting my tattoo. Getting a tattoo can be extremely painful, especially in specific locations, and the pain of having the symbol would exceed the other pain I was harboring inside and make it less apparent, at least for a little while. I wanted to feel the pain of a needle piercing my skin because I knew that no amount of physical pain could exceed the pain I already felt. The result of that pain would be a work of art that had real meaning.
People often ask if it hurts to get a tattoo.
In sensitive areas, or areas where the skin is thin, getting a tattoo can be very painful. If I didn’t know I was getting a tattoo, I would have thought I was being cut over and over by a hot razor blade. As strange as it may sound, I didn’t mind the pain. I never flinched, I certainly didn’t cry, and I plan on eventually getting another one to symbolize another event or a meaningful symbol of my life. I’ve considered a heart surrounded by thorns, a banner saying Trust No One, or maybe the words Forget-Me-Not to go with my ring of blue flowers. Reasons for getting a tattoo can be as personal as the tattoos themselves, and some of my reasons I’ll never share.
Source of images: Pinterest
