Lauren Burge
Contributing Writer
Tattoos can turn a moment or feeling into a lasting fixture on our skin, but what does that permanent reminder mean and what is the significance of it? Behind every tattoo is a story waiting to be heard.
I’ve compiled a mix and match quiz to test your ability to match a tattoo with the story behind it. Match students’ tattoo stories with their respective photos.
1. “I got this tattoo a month after my 18th birthday. I decided to get my mom’s zodiac sign Sagittarius as my first tattoo and three months later I got my dad’s sign Capricorn. Sagittarius and Capricorn aren’t even supposed to be together…It is the totem pole of astrology and love.”
2. “When I was sixteen I had a mega crush on Lord Byron…Totally sexy and such a heartbreaker. I imagined that had I met him, I would be the only woman able to break his heart. “Fare thee well” is an open letter written to his lover apologizing for not being there. I believe it was written to me as if I was the woman who got away…I now sign letters ‘Fare Thee Well’”.
3. “Last week my friend gave me this tattoo…It took under an hour to complete…Growing up my Dad was Catholic and Mom was Buddhist. My mom would help me with what she knew of Buddhism. It serves as an anchor that centers me. It is the only figure of religion I turn to without qualms.”
4. “I got this tattoo on Elvis’ birthday… I was thinking about it for five years and decided to go through with it when I got my first paycheck from the Graphics Center at USF. This symbol has a few meanings. It is a representation of something you are good at. Growing up I always had a lost sense of identity. Finally I came to peace with myself realizing this is who I am, this is what I have and I am one of a kind. This symbol also has to do with music’s influence over my life. I got to experience the world through music and realize the world is much bigger than me. Also, the sign in music means to be LOUD, my mantra. I don’t want to go quietly nor do I want to go out in silence. I want to go out of this world influencing other people.”
5. “When I was growing up I used to play this game called La Loteria with my family…I named the card after my dog Luna.”
6. “I found this tattoo in an old botanical encyclopedia and I thought it was very beautiful. The name “malo” means evil and bad in Spanish. Each letter is the first initial of my dad’s, mother’s, brother’s, and my name.”
7. “I knew I wanted to get a tattoo symbolizing a part of my life. My trip to India connected with that. I feel very strongly towards Buddhist values, especially attachment and seeing the beauty and spirituality in that. When I was getting tattooed all the Tibetan men were listening to Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. That was icing on the cake.”
8. “This tattoo took fourteen hours to complete and will still probably need five more hours of work done. I started sketching this design about a year ago and finally applied it in April. I grew up in Virginia where my yard was full of maple trees and beautiful green scenery.”
Answers:1. F 2. C 3. D 4. G 5. B 6. H 7. E 8. A.
