Hannah McCallum
Descriptive Essay
September 16, 2014

As Amy Tan once said, “I was intelligent enough to make up my own mind. I not only had freedom of choice, I had freedom of expression”. In today’s society, many young individuals are beginning to express themselves in various ways. One of the choices this generation is becoming known for is tattoos. Because of the bad reputation tattoos can portray, not everyone likes the idea of having permanent markings on their body. Unlike the people who are against tattoos, I believe this art work is a unique way of personal expression. With much thought involving my tattoos, I can honestly say they all have a special meaning behind the ink. My first tattoo is placed on the back of my left shoulder. In cursive writing I have the quote “Never look back”. Since it was only three words, I assumed it would be quick, involving very little pain. As the tattoo artist began the process, he started from the right and moved to the left. After completing two of the words, he began with the finishing touch, tattooing over my shoulder blade. During the last five minutes of constant vibrations going through my arm and neck, I had to remind myself of what the tattoo represented to me to block out the pain. Every day when I see this tattoo, I have a positive reminder that the past is in the past for a reason, and to only move forward with my life. The second tattoo is on the back of my right shoulder. Also in cursive writing, I have the quote “Give me strength when I’m standing and faith when I fall”. Out of the four tattoos I have, this has been the longest taking roughly forty-five minutes to complete. Unlike laying down for the first tattoo, this time I had to sit up in a chair as the tattooist worked. Besides being McCallum 2 uncomfortable and being unable to touch the ground, the pain was completely different from the first due to the sizing I decided on for this tattoo. Reaching from the middle of my back to the end of my shoulder, the variations of pain was not something I enjoyed. Because of this tattoo, I am reminded that I am never alone, and God will always be there for me when I fall. My most recent tattoo I have is a quote on my foot in