My Tattoo

So I've had a lot of questioning regarding what my most visible tattoo (the one on my stomach) means if anything, or if its just another star like so many are prone to getting.  I'm glad to say that while I did position it and design the specific star as to be aesthetically pleasing, I didn't just get it because it would look good, and in fact, I got mine long before the trend really took off as a constant reminder after my coming out of one of the most valuable lessons learned in my life.

The tattoo was inspired by a Dr. Seuss short story about the Sneetches, who all lived on a beach and some had stars on their bellies and some did not. Those who had stars looked down on those who did not, and lots of events happen until at the end, all the sneetches decide to live together regardless of if they had stars or not.  I won't go into all the specifics, but YouTube has the entire story here.

The lesson I learned from the story, and applied to my life was that I should have to nor will I change myself to gain the acceptance of others.  For the first 20 years of my life, I had lived as others wanted and expected me to regardless of if that is what I wanted for my own life or not, and after that long, I had gained the confidence to stand up for myself, and be who I really am.  My star is that visual reminder that I see every day telling me I'm perfect as I am, and that I shouldn't have to change that to gain the approval, acceptance, or love of anyone else.