Sharlene Oong
Student Writer
In many shapes, sizes and colors, tattoos impact our lives in many different ways. We often find ourselves captivated by the stories and meanings they have to offer for each individual. For this week’s edition of Tattoo Tuesdays, I sat down with sophomore sustainabilities major Courtney Reimer to hear about the tattoo that represents her faith and story.
Where did you get your tattoos?
It’s called Mandrake Tattoo. It’s in Massachusetts.
What is the most common question you get asked about your tattoo?
Nirvana has a song that says “Come as you are” — people always ask if I got it after that song.
What is the most common misconception about people with tattoos?
Mine’s on my arm. People say, “Oh I like that but I would not want to get a tattoo on my arm. It looks unprofessional to have it in a visible place,” or something like that. I don’t get that often, but if I do, it’s people saying they don’t like them as it looks unprofessional when going to a job interview.
What does your tattoo means to you?
I got it not because of a specific biblical passage, I like the sentiment of it a lot. It was a reminder that you don’t have to try, like clean yourself up before you come to God, you don’t have to put on an act of someone who you’re not. He loves me and accepts me the way that I am.
If you got another tattoo, what would it be?
One of Winnie the Pooh. That’s always been my favorite thing growing up. I wanted to get one on my ankle, so we’ll see.
Do you go alone or with friends to your appointments?
I had two of my best friends who came with me, they were there and I was just talking to them. Mine was small so it only took a total of five minutes to do it. They were in the room with me when I was getting it done.
What advice would you give to someone considering getting a tattoo?
I would say don’t do it spontaneously. Keep the image in your head for awhile for a few months before you start to do it and really settle in on your idea. If you know someone who is good at drawing, have them put it on first, because with mine, the guy typed it out and I picked out the font I wanted online and he put it on my arm. He resized it a few times before adjusting it to the size I want. The font is Traveling Typewriter. I was researching fonts online as I was like, “this is going to be here permanently,” so I want to really like the fonts.