Back in June, one of my older stepsisters moved to Port Orange, Florida with her boyfriend to continue their education in Graduate School. Before she left, we decided that the two of us and our eldest sister needed to do something remarkable in order to have some kind of keepsake memory of our spectacular bond.

For years now we had always talked about getting matching tattoos, what they would be and where we would get them. However, that was always as far as we’d gotten. We never actually picked what we wanted or where we would permanently ink our bodies; it was just a fun thing to talk about. So we decided that before she left us for three years, we would make our dream a reality. And that’s what we did. So now the three of us have partially filled in bird tattoos to show that no matter where we are or what we’re doing, we will always have a bond and “flock together”.

Ever since I made the “risky” decision to place my tattoo on a spot of my body that was pretty visible (my inner forearm), I’ve been getting criticized for throwing away my career opportunities, destroying my body and being a reckless child. Clearly these comments have now rattled my brain and given me anxiety about my meaningful tattoo placement. Did I do something stupid? Did I ruin my body? Will I never get a job? Should I get it removed? NO! It’s my body; I’ll do what I want with it.

This is my philosophy about tattoos. It’s 2016. We need to understand that every person in this world wants to be him or herself. And we need to let them live instead of trying to stop them. Give me break people. There are way worse things I could be caught up in than having one small tattoo visible on my forearm. The fact that you are telling me that I won’t get a job because I’m expressing myself is ridiculous. And this is what I have to say about myself and my visible tattoo: as a young millennial and a soon-to-be marketing professional, my creative expressions are not going to stop me from pursuing my dreams. Yes I have a visible bird tattoo on my arm; no I’m not going to cover it up. If a company will not accept me for who I am, why should I accept the company for what it is?

Why should I, a marketer who is categorized, educated and expected to be creative going to be punished for showing off my love and honor for something I care so much about. What’s so wrong with tattoos? They’re just a symbol of something very meaningful to the man or woman who has them. They shouldn’t be frowned upon, job risky or seen as uneducated and childish.

To some people, having a private tattoo means a lot and they don’t show it off to many others. Which is totally fine. Do whatever you want, especially to your own body. We aren’t on this Earth to 1 impress anyone but or ourselves and 2 do anything to make sure anyone else is okay with your personal decisions. So, get the tattoo and make it as meaningful and personal as you want.

I get it. Tattoos are permanent. That a lot of thought needs to go into it before a tattoo should be put onto your body. For my sisters and I we did put a lot of thought into it so we should be able to enjoy the fact we can showcase the creativity we designed for our own enjoyment and not be anxious about pleasing others around us.

In this day and age, many people are being discouraged for pursuing their dreams and using their beliefs to try and make the world a better place. Malala Yousavsai was almost shot to death because all she wanted was an EDUCATION. Kesha spoke out against her contract in order to get JUSTICE in the case of her rape case only to be shot down. During the Boston Marathon bombing, instead of RUNNING Carlos Arredondo ran towards the victims, offered the shirt off his back and ultimately saved the lives of others. Although some decisions are looked upon as wild, stupid and childish, they were done to better other people’s lives, which is why they should be cherished.

I know having a tattoo isn’t even as close to saving a life but it’s a person’s own way of showing what they believe in as well as how they represent their core values. In conclusion, having a tattoo visible or not should not be frowned upon by family members, friends, bosses or anyone. At least I have a tattoo and not a drug problem.