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Memories On My Neck.
It’s a thrilling experience, anxiety drowns you, pleasure consumes, and that’s only from the thought of it. Just that one thought of ink flowing under your skin. Older generations say it’s a dreadful thing to do to yourself. They’ll click there dragon tongues, give you those disapproving beady eyed bird stares, that are so annoying you wish to shout at them on the streets. Others say it’s rebellious. But how is getting a permanent picture of Hello Kitty on your skin rebelling? Has Hello Kitty done something wrong that we don’t know of? You be the judge of that one. And lets all remember the health risks, that people who disagree with tattoos seem to bring up as their last resort to win the argument, apparently all of us who have tattoos should be suffering from some kind of disease. Some put themselves through the pain because they feel it is a right of passage. Personally the pain is nothing more than an annoying poking sensation, if you want a right of passage have someone poke you a million times with a needle, hard. Some even go under the needle just for the hell of it, and most exclaim it is self expression. I say to each his own. Your reason, That is your own, but I believe that each of those tattoos that mark your body, they are memories forever imprinted. Tattoos are ever lasting memories that will never be forgotten, and should always be cherished.
I have one simple tattoo. It’s not a unique design, nor is it colorful, it’s simple. Four stars grace the right side of my neck. Three of them outlined, and one small black one. Those four stars mean a lot to me. Every morning that I look at them in the mirror they remind me of her. The one person I miss most in this world. They even remind me of the day I got the tattoo. The faint smell of cigarette smoke hovered in the air, heavy rock music blasting from the back groom and vibrant colors splashed the inside of the shop. I even remember feeling a little bit of regret when the tattoo was finished. I kept questioning myself. Was I right? Am I just justifying this tattoo with my friends death? Is that ok? What will people think? What will my grandmother think? But now I know that I did the right thing. Even now when I look at the tattoo the memory of getting it floods to my mind. The memory, of why I have these simple stars, also stands strong, never wavering.
I had turned eighteen years old and had lost a friend. She was a strong woman in her forties. She breathed, drank, ate and lived horse back riding and showing. She was my hero, my role model and mentor. She taught me how to be confident, blunt and bold. She was the person I wanted to grow up to be. She lived her life how she wanted it, not how other people wanted it to be. It was weird having a friendship with someone who was about thirty years older than me. But it was simple, direct and easy. And as soon as it came, it left. Cancer took her away.
My tattoo was for her. For our memories and our friendship. She was the person I wanted to be. I didn’t want a tattoo with her birth and death date, I didn’t want her name written across my skin for eternity. Because to me she wasn’t gone, she wasn’t dead, she was just there. Her memories were everlasting, so she was everlasting. So why not get something that would last forever?
The stars represent dreams. You’ve always heard “Reach for the stars!” or “Let your dreams shine likes stars in the sky!” I know, it sounds extremely stupid and cliche. But those simple cliche stars remind me that I can do anything I want to do. They remind me of how my friend lived her life. Ignoring what the ‘norm’ was and doing what she wanted. Shining like a star for me to see. Even if she could not see it herself.
All of my memories of her are wrapped up in four simple stars. Four stars that a guy named Chad sewed into my skin. Forever and ever. Four black stars that were born in a tattoo parlor off of 28th street. Some people have elaborate dragons, colorful birds or even there dogs. I agree that a person is like a canvas and the art displayed on them is beautiful. That you may have an elaborate tattoo to be a memory for you. I consider myself more as a doodle pad person. Bits of memory here and there. Simple, yet carry loads of meaning. A bit like a taco.
Everyone has their own personal definition of what the art of tattooing means to them. But it’s not as elaborate as some people make it out to be. Tattoos are memories that are imprinted on our skin. You look at your tattoo and remember the day that you got it, why you got it and how you picked it out. Those are all memories. They are strong reminders that some regret. But I’ll never regret the memories on my neck.