It has been estimated that 10% of all baby boomers have tattoos. More are getting them as they get older. As ying yang tattoos symbolize all there is in the universe and the constant change of things; so getting a tattoo over 40 symbolizes a change in our own thought processes and our lives.
As we get older, we really care less about what other people think about us and more about what makes us feel good.
We have become our own person and have realized that we don't need approval from anyone else for what we do. We have become our parents.
We have lived a life that is filled with loving friends and family. We have accomplished goals that we never thought possible. We have accumulated memories that we don't want to forget. We have a need to show these life experiences to others. We want to tell the stories of our lives to other people without having to look at a wallet full of pictures.
What Your Tattoo Says About You
Our lives and the memories we have collected are real. We will not allow them to be placed upon a mantle or hung on a wall to collect dust.
Being over 40 and getting a tattoo today, means we put more thought into what kind of tattoo we want than your average college student. Because, for the over 40 crowd, it first means overcoming the old stigma's of tattoos both socially and professionally. It is an acceptance of ourselves and our lives.
It is a statement that I may be older, but I'm not dead. I still have life to live.
The canvas of our bodies may or may not be stretched the tightest it has ever been, but the tattoo on it, is a living, breathing, tribute to those family and friends that may or may be with us anymore; to those serving in the military, to winning the battle over cancer, to getting in the best shape of our lives and running in that marathon; to my divorce; to my college degree; to my retirement; to my kids, my grandkids; to my beliefs, to my life.
Tattoos are not just for the young, but also for the young at heart.
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