by Toni Anne

Created on: March 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

After two and a half hours and $140.00 later, I was standing before a mirror gazing at the artwork newly inked into my skin. This was a major change in my appearance, however well worth the pain, money, and reputation that comes with sporting a tattoo. Even though society has taken a more liberal view on tattooing, there are those who still see it as taboo and a reckless form of behavior. My mother is one of those conservative thinkers.

I started experimenting with "inking" skin in high school. Someone showed me how to self-tattoo with just a needle, thread, and Indian ink. This isn't the easiest form of getting your body tattooed. I found some black Indian ink at a craft store and after deciding the "what" and "where", my very first official tattoo was a heart with the letters K, H, R underneath planted on my right shoulder. I was proud of this accomplishment, never realizing the significance of what I was doing to my body. In laymen's terms, I had just tortured my body with what is known as a "jail house tattoo". So much for my innocence, right? I wouldn't learn that concept until I went to a professional, many years later in life, after which I had inked several places on my body in the same fashion.

Over the years I was still captivated with the art of tattooing. The very nature of having a permanent drawing on the body that everyone could see and drew conversation from was the motivation behind having one professionally done. I wanted a tattoo that represented my new born son, Anthony. His childbirth was extremely difficult, but we both pulled through. I was reminded daily how lucky I was to have him in my life. I chose a winged Pegasus, from Greek mythology denoting strength and imagination. I chose to have it tattooed on my left shoulder to symbolize the closeness to my heart.

My third child, Nick was born two years later. Again, I wanted to design something to reflect our unique bond. I chose a design from a painting my grandmother had given me. God's hands were releasing a dove into the heavens as a rainbow arched the white, puffy clouds illuminating His hands. Once the artist had downsized and redrew the design, it was revealed to me that this tattoo wasn't simply for Nick, it was for all of my children. It was the sentiment of peace and tranquility that appealed to me.

The most significant tattoo to date, and one that will remain the pinnacle of my designs, is the tattoo dedicate to my sister, who had passed away two years before. I think the pain of

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