Tattoo You, Everyone’s Getting Inked

It used to be that if you saw someone with tattoos, you steered clear. People who had ink were mostly male and, outside of military members, usually of a questionable type. But that has completely changed.These days you're just as likely to see tattoos on your female bank teller as you are on a male gang member. Sure, there are still coded messages in "gang tattoos", but the spread of the practice means that you can't really draw conclusions anymore when you see someone with tattoos.

I always said that I would never get a tattoo. Mostly because I'm terrified of needles. But as I got older and thought about the life changing impact that going to summer camp had on me growing up, I decided that I wanted a subtle tribute to those influential years. The picture on the left is from when I got inked in 2009. To most people it's just a constellation, but for those who take the time and interest to ask me about it, I'm happy to share the story of why it is what it is and what it signifies to me.

Everyone has their reasons for getting inked. Some are deeply meaningful and personal, others are simply decorations. But one thing connects all tattoos, they're for life (well, in general). Whether you decide on a tattoo for deeply personal purposes, to show your allegiance to a team or a brand, or just for decoration, it's still pretty important to think it through very carefully...especially when it comes to placement (is that going to sag in 30 years?).

So where do you stand on tattoos? Do you have any? If so, is it something meaningful or just a design you liked? Join in and leave a comment below.