Look, tattoos are awesome. If you want some, get them.
But.
Never get your girlfriend’s name tattooed. Or boyfriend, I don’t – partner, okay? I don’t like partner, makes me sound like a cowboy, or a lawyer, but whatever, same advice goes.
Lover, cowboy, or lawyer:
Never get a partner’s name tattooed on your skin. Even if you’re married. Divorce is painful enough without needing a coverup.
Don’t tattoo the names of celebrities, either.
Honestly? Don’t get names tattooed at all.
Except two.
Get your own name tattooed.
Make sure it’s the one you want first. Found and chosen names can be better than birth, as long as it’s a real name, not…
Right. Don’t use your DnD character, obviously. It’s more than that, though.
Look. Sometimes people have an idea of who they’d like to be. Maybe someone who talks to strangers at the bar, or works out every day, or wears leather jackets and rides motorcycles.
It’s not a bad thing. It’s aspirational. Acting like the person we want to be can help us grow.
But we never imagine that person being sick, or lonely, or growing old. We don’t think about them getting hurt and needing to dial back, take time to heal. That person isn’t real, at least not yet.
If you’re feeling between names, wait.
I know that’s hard to hear. I’m sorry. But that’s the way it is.
It needs to be your name for it to work.
Put it on your chest, or your upper arm, or your thigh. Somewhere it can be concealed, but you’ll still see it every day. A reminder, to keep you grounded. No matter how much your body changes, no matter what you do or don’t like seeing in the mirror, your name will be there for you.
Either way, make it mirrored. Makes it easier for you to read in the morning, and harder for them if they see you coming. Use iron and burnt oak for the ink. Grind it yourself, under the full moon.
Otherwise they’ll be able to take it from you.
Like they took everything else. Yeah.
They’re the other exception, obviously.
Are you left-handed? No?
Then the inside of your left forearm is perfect for the true name of the fae who stole your face.
Close at hand, tied to the heart, easy to conceal.
Leaves your right hand free to hold the knife when you finally track the sumbitch down.
(If it wasn’t clear – this is a work of fiction, not an opinion piece. Get whatever tattoos you want. Unless someone stole your face.)