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My First Tattoo


So, I got inked. And I love it!

I don't take tattoos lightly. When I was a teenager, I was sure I would get my first tattoo the second I turned eighteen. Good thing that didn't happen... Tattoos are, as you know, permanent. Before I stumbled upon sign language tattoos I had never found anything that I would permanently want inked on my skin. And when I found this design, I wanted to think it through. Would I regret it? Is it a bad idea? 

I'm not opposed to beautiful tattoos that people get just because. To each their own. However, I decided early on that if I was ever going to get a tattoo, it would have to mean something, and it would have to be a personal decision, and there for myself, not for anyone else. It would have to be in a place where I can show it, but a place I can also cover up if needed. No way was I going to get a tattoo that would insult somebody in any way. 

So, why this tattoo? I'm a very different person from who I was a year ago. With my progressing hearing loss, getting a hearing aid, learning sign languages (Finnish and American), and getting involved in the deaf and hard of hearing communities I have found a whole new world that I love. I've stated many times that Meniere's disease has, in a way, given me so much more than it has taken away. A global I Love You -sign represents my love for the new languages I'm learning, for the new cultures and communities, and for my identity as a hard of hearing person. 

<3

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