Ink with Meaning

Tattoos are becoming a popular way for teens to tell their stories. Often tattoos are ways for teens to honor those who have touched their lives.

Senior Grace Wilcox’s tattoo was drawn in remembrance of her grandfathe

r. She describes him as not only a grandpa, but also a fatherly friend.

“My grandpa was super close to me all my life and a huge father figure for me since my dad passed away when I was little. I got the tattoo as his initials (RW) and the dates (1929-2014) to show he ‘shaped’ me as a person,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox had her tattoo drawn on Jan. 8. It depicts two telephone poles connected by her grandpa’s initials and the years of his life.

Senior Caroline Smith said her three tattoos tell a story. The one on her collarbone reads, “Terrible thing to live in fear.” She got this tattoo after she overcame an eating disorder a few years ago. She uses it as a reminder that she has the ability to overcome any hardship.

Smith also has three roses on her hip to represent her mom, dad, and brother. Her other two tattoos represent her grandparents who passed away a few years ago.

“Tattoos are like written adventures while you’re still alive. Your body is a sketchbook. It tells a story about you,” Smith said.

In addition to the idea of using tattoos as a way of honoring family members, they are also drawn in honor of a person’s heritage.

Junior Christian Chan has a tribal tattoo (drawn and designed by his father) resembling symbols of his family’s Native American heritage.

“My dad and I drew up the design of my tattoo together, but he’s the artist, not me. It represents my family’s heritage. It has a family crest, and similar patterns to those resembled in my father’s tattoos,” Chan said.

Often, the assumption is made that teens are simply marking their skin with nonsense. However, for several students at Glencoe, tattoos are a way to remember moments or people that have made impacts. Tattoos have become a way to remember things that might otherwise be forgotten.

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