In 2005, fresh out of high school and newly introduced to university life, I got my first tattoo. In memory of a dog I grew up with, I got two large paw prints on my back.
In 2009, I got my second tattoo and I got it for a cause. Each tattoo purchased bought nets for refugees in Africa to prevent malaria. The artists and individuals receiving the tattoos were interviewed the show was broadcast to support the cause.
Shortly thereafter, I got the tattoo that changed my life. In 2008, a 14-year-old family friend went missing. Tagged as a runaway, her parents searched for her endlessly and the public slowly forgot who she was. In early 2009, they found her body. Longing for a tattoo that represented myself, as well as the life that was lost, I made my way down to the tattoo parlor, picturing something simple and elegant. Rather, I ended up with a beautiful scene on my side that reads "No more tears in Heaven."
I am a college graduate with a degree in veterinary technology. I worked in the veterinary field for three years helping to save the lives of animals. I went back to school and got my bachelor degree in business management. I graduated as a member of the Delta Mu Delta honors society. All of tattoos are hidden beneath my clothes and without mentioning them, I've never met anyone who anticipated the tattoos before seeing them. I find that adults are pleasantly shocked to see the tattoo on my side and children are delighted by the colors.
My tattoos seem to be the same as art found on walls: conversation pieces. These will definitely not be my last conversation pieces.
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