Pretty Undecided: SEVENTH SON TATTOO

I am now inked. Yes, permanently.

I got a tattoo. And despite all the stigmas against them, I am so incredible happy with my decision to get my tattoo.

found next to Seventh Son

My parents both grew up in very traditional homes. My father was raised by parents of German heritage, and my mother grew up in Kyoto, one of the oldest and most historic Japanese cities, in a country where tattoos are associated with the mafia. It goes without saying that my parents weren't really ever in support of me getting permanent markings on my body.

Growing up, I never really had a huge fascination with tattoos. I think I was actually kind of scared of them, to be honest. As I grew older I began to appreciate the beauty of certain tattoo pieces and how a permanent marking could represent so much of a person's identity.

(Trigger Warning)

In my freshman year of high school, I ran track every weekday, had dance practice for two and half hours, two times a week, and was busy studying for all my final exams. By the end of the year, I had gained 10 pounds. And I began to despise my body. By the end of the school year, I made a promise to myself to lose those 10 pounds and get back to my "normal" weight of 118. And before I knew it, it was October of my sophomore year and I was down to 92 pounds.

After spending two months in the hospital and the past three years in therapy, I worked on my recovery but was still plagued by depression, conflicted feelings of wanting to lose weight while knowing I should maintain a healthy weight, then having more problems when I developed bulimia. Through these tumultuous experiences, I realized how poorly I treated myself, as well as all those around me, even those I loved the most.

And this is why I got a tattoo from Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" : a lyric that reads, "I told you to be patient, fine, balanced, kind."

No matter how difficult your life is, you must always strive for calmness and patience - with yourself, those around you, and the difficulties you face. Understand that obsessing over/freaking out about the negative aspects of your life will not enable you to overcome these obstacles, but rather, will make it more difficult for you to make positive changes. Live a balanced life in which you do kind things for yourself and others, and above all, remember to be kind to yourself and those you love. Written in my own handwriting, this tattoo is incredibly meaningful and encompasses the attitude with which I strive to live my life.

I am so happy I found out about Seventh Son Tattoo in San Francisco and connected with Cecelia to get this piece done. Also, special thanks for Danielle for being an amazing roommate and friend, and for coming with me to get this. I'm also so thankful for my parents, whom despite their personal preferences against tattoos, have been understanding of my decision to get this tattoo, and continue to love me unconditionally.

Side note: I haven't gotten around to taking a proper picture of it because...

1) It's on my back, which makes it hard for me to take this picture myself

2) This means I have to ask my roommate to take one for me, and I haven't really gotten around to it yet.

I'll update this post when I get a proper picture. Hopefully, sometime in the near future...

Until then, I'm trash. This post is all about my tattoo, and you can't even see it. I am trash.

Just kidding.