Over the years tattoos have grown more and more popular. Going on your eighteenth birthday to get tattooed is becoming a tradition. Then there's the mind wrenching decision of what you're going to have permanently on your body.

You also have many things to consider. Safety and common sense are the most important to acknowledge. You should be familiar with the tattoo artist background as well as the studio you're in. When observing someone with tattoos you should never be quick to judge them.

Senior Jessica Bohannon sports two tattoos. While Bohannon was in Hawaii she decided to get a tattoo for her sixteenth birthday. A sweet sixteen tattoo sounds like a nice present. Jessica never considered getting a pointless tattoo. Her recent tattoo is for the remembrance of a great friend. Bohannon decides whether the pain was worth it or not. She says, "Yeah, it was worth it because in the end

you're really happy with what you have done." To grab the attention of others, people seek a way to set themselves apart from the crowd. Tattoos are one of the most creative ways to express your originality.

One of our unique seniors, Sam Winters, tells the stories behind his tattoos, “I was 16 and I always liked tattoos and said how I wanted them to my dad. So one day my dad just randomly asked me if I want to go see my uncle in Arizona and get a tattoo. He told me of how you only had to be 16 with parental consent. So my dad told my mom we were going camping and we went and drove all the way to Arizona in like 15 hours straight.” Sam tells what the bald eagle tattoo across his shoulders stands for. “To me it represents freedom and a free spirit and I think it reflects my attitude about life and how I feel.” Sam explains the reasons for the second tattoo he got, “I got tattoo in memory of my dad who died on his motorcycle...its an Easyriders art piece by David Mann that he had in out garage since I could remember,” Sam goes on, “its a biker riding and a ghost cowboy riding beside him that I always thought both of them looked like him and I think of it when I think of him. There’s a banner under it saying ‘time to take it Easyrider... Feb. 21, 2005, to show it’s for him (him being the easyrider). I decided to go back to where I got my first tat with him [Sacred Skin Studios in Phoenix, AZ] to me it kind of is like going back with him or full circle stuff.”

Being opened minded is a very good quality to have. So before you disapprove of the next person you see with a tattoo or two, you should take the time and ask what it means to them. You may be surprised to find the significance behind their tattoo.