On my eighteenth birthday in honor to my entry into adulthood, I decided to get a tattoo. My friend Elaine, who was already eighteen, agreed to come with me and we duly made an appointment at the local tattoo parlor. She knew what tattoo she wanted, but I had no idea. Although I didn’t think that a tattoo of Tigger was the way to enter into a life of adulthood, Elaine wanted it and had made up her mind. I was pretty sure that if I was going to have a tattoo that was to be with me for the rest of my natural life, it had to be something meaningful. Something that said “me”! We arrived early to look through the stacks of tattoo books at the parlor, with me hoping that I would find what I was looking for.

There were some really scary numbers in the first tattoo books I looked through, and in my wildest imagination, I couldn’t imagine who would want any of these. What I really needed was something a little feminine, and I really believed that I would find something in the tattoo books. I was going to wear the tattoo on my ankle, and it was going to be there for ever, and be representative of me.

For about a half hour I waded through the tattoo books, there were pages of hideous tattoos, but also some beautiful ones. However, I was at a loss, nothing stood out and said “choose me!” By this stage I was beginning to feel discouraged, one of the tattoo artists must have sensed this and started to ask me questions about myself. What did I like, what were my beliefs? That kind of thing! After a short while he sorted through the tattoo books and chose one, flicking through the pages, he came to what he thought I was looking for and pointed.

He showed me a small rainbow colored dolphin, it was attractive and dainty. It was what I was looking for, I am an artist and I felt that the colors and the dolphin were both representative of the kind of person I was. I loved dolphins and the ocean, I set down the other tattoo books and nodding to him, I realized I had found my perfect tattoo.

A while ago I was helping this other friend of mine look for a tattoo that would be perfect for her. We looked through the tattoo books, but she seemed to be having the same problem I had. I was looking at tattoo books, just to pass time and when I opened one of them, I found what she was looking for. A few hours later we left the parlor, happy and smiling, she with her perfect tattoo, me, with a happy friend. I would like to suggest to you, if you are looking for the perfect tattoo, you also look through plenty of tattoo books until you find the right one.

Tags: Tattoos