Everyone it seems has an opinion on tattoos. Some people hate them. Some don't particularly care for them, but tolerate them anyways. Others love them. I'm one of those that love them.

I have six tattoos, with more planned. Three them are frequently visible. But, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people who, at the very least, will tolerate them. My mom thinks a few are ok, but doesn't want me covered head to toe. My dad doesn't really like them, but also doesn't lecture me on them either. My current job has never asked me to cover them up, even the more visible ones.

While society as a whole has become more accepting of tattoos and piercings, not everyone feels that way. More than once I've worked at a job that wanted them covered, all the time. Although these days less common, people do still judge and stereotype based on if someone has ink, especially visible.

It's not uncommon for us to hear that we will regret them when we're older. That comment dumbfounds me more often than not. You mean to tell me that when I'm old and am dealing with any number of health concerns that I'm going to be worried about how crummy my tattoos look? My skin is going to be wrinkled and ugly looking regardless, at least this way I'll have stories to tell.

Another big one is that we'll never get a good job. As I said before, as a whole people are becoming more accepting of tattoos, including work places. I know people in all different industries that have them. We cover them when necessary, but that need is happening less often now. So yes, we can get jobs, just like you.

Parents often hear that having tattoos makes them a bad parent. I would love for someone to explain that one to me. I personally don't have children, but a lot of my friends and co-workers do. A lot of them also have ink. They are amazing parents. They'd be amazing parents even if they didn't have ink. There are plenty of wonderful parents with tattoos, just like there are plenty of bad parents that have none.

And just because I have tattoos it doesn't mean I live this crazy life. In fact, my life is pretty boring compared to some people. Having tattoos doesn't mean that we stay up all night partying. A lot of us lead quiet lives. We just like tattoos.

While this one is heard less frequently in today's society, it's still been an issue. No, not all of us have served time. Having a tattoo does not automatically mean we've been in prison.

It also doesn't mean we're all creative. A lot of us have amazing tattoo artists that do the designing for us. We come to them with an idea. We explain what we want and they bring it to life for us. Some people are creative, but having a tattoo doesn't guarantee it. Some of us just have amazing artists.

We don't ask you to like them, or to ever get one, we just ask for your acceptance. We don't judge you just because you don't have any. Let's get rid of what's left of this preconceived notion that tattoos are inherently bad. They aren't. Just like there are bad people without tattoos, there's a lot of amazing people with them. Tattoos shouldn't define a person.

So before you judge, ask. Most of us won't mind you asking about them. Often times tattoos are memories, or reminders. Maybe it's just a story of a crazy night. Sometimes it's something the person loves or has a passion for. Of course you'll always find one that was done on a whim too. But maybe you'll be surprised. And maybe your opinion will change on them.