“The Tattoo Addiction”

Why are tattoos so addicting?
Over the years and five tattoos later, I’m still trying to figure this all out. I remember my first tattoo and being absolutely terrified at getting, seeing how at that time I was terrified of needles. And of course instead of backing out and avoiding that “pain” and “torture” of sitting there, I decided to get my eyebrow pierced to help take my mind of the actual tattoo. I’m sure you’re wondering why I would do this since piercing involves a needle, well I really can’t describe what was going through my mind, just that it seemed like a good idea at the time.
So as for the first tattoo, it was a gift for my 19th birthday from my then college roommate. After thinking long and hard about what I wanted, because of course I didn’t want some stupid out of the book-everyone and their mother-type of tattoo, I wanted something that had meaning to me and my life. Once I decided on what to get, the next step was figuring out where to put the forever there piece of art on my body. I knew that I didn’t want that tramp-stamp style on my lower back like some factory made girl, I wanted it somewhere that I could see it as well as show it off tastefully. So eventually I got all this figured out and was off to get this everlasting ink put on me and so goes the story.
After this first one I honestly didn’t think that I would have such a strong push to get another one for a long time, if even ever. Yet as the years past the urge to add more art to my body became increasingly strong and the need to even out my ankle was overwhelming. (That is a little bit of that OCD thing that can make anyone’s life a living annoyance if you have ever dealt with it.). Any how though, back to what I was talking about. So when I was about to turn twenty-four I decided that another tattoo would be a good birthday present to myself.
When I entered the shop I had fully intended to have my design put on the inside of my ankle and that was that. Well it turned out one of my friends was now working there and hence would be tattooing me that day. After talking in detail with him about it, it was then time to take a seat and begin the process, though this time I knew what was in store and skipped that whole piercing part of my previous visit. While I sat there, antsy I must add and having trouble staying still, my mind some how made a flip and didn’t know if this was the right thing to do. Plus I kept thinking that what if I should have gotten my second choice done instead of this one. Well by the time that this fully came out it was too late to change the tattoo and that was something I had to deal with and thus may be getting another one at a later point.
At the end of the session the artist and I chatted for a little more about the other tattoo and the one I had just had done, then parted our ways. Though as I was walking out the door he told me to come back in a a month or so to check on the tattoo and its healing process. First I thought this a bit odd since we saw each other throughout the week, but just kind of brushed it off as just him being professional. Needless to say, I did go back to have it “checked on” and what not, but I also wanted to have the other one put below this fresh one as well. Now I am sitting there getting my third addition to my ankle and am talking about how seriously this is the last one that I am getting, no matter what. Well anyone could have told you that that was just a crock and that I’d be back for more.
So I’d say about a year and a half to two went by and I heard that my friend was back in town, yeah he “forgot” to call and tell me he was coming back to live for good (well at least that was the plan, but that’s a whole other story in itself.). Of course I went down to the new shop he would be working at to say hello and give him shit, he wouldn’t expect anything less from me after all. As we got talking and catching up while he was in between customers the idea of my next tattoo came about. Well since he had left so abruptly and then failed to keep in good enough touch for my standards, he would be doing my tattoo on him and right then and there. It is small enough and thankfully this time I only had to sit in the chair for under a half and hour.
Well this brings me all to the present time after just adding another tattoo to my body, bringing the total up to five. The only difference though, I felt daring and strayed from adding this one to my ankle, yet decided on my shoulder instead. I must admit that with each tattoo comes a sense of warmth throughout my body and hence why I feel my next one will be coming within the next few months. And this is where my question comes into play…

Tags: additction, body art, tattoo