If you’re friends with me on Facebook or MySpace, you’ve seen a picture of my tattoo: a heart with wings on my left shoulder was permanently inked on me three months ago. To most people, my tattoo is something that looks cool, but to me, the meaning behind it has a heart-filled message.

Inside the heart is the number 23. The first question out of everyone’s mouth is “For Michael Jordan?” No, not for Michael Jordan.

The number 23 is my family’s lucky number. I could sit here and tell you all the reasons it is, but I won’t bore you. After all, I’m not trying to make you go out and get a tattoo of your lucky number.

The point I’m trying to make is that a tattoo is something you have forever. Any girl can go get a tattoo of a butterfly because they think it’s cute and any boy can get a tattoo of a skull and cross bones. But when you’re 80, will it still be cute to you? Will it still make you look “bad” to have that skull? When you’re 80, will it have the same meaning it did 62 years ago?

A tattoo is a form of self expression, but too often, I think people don’t get anything with a meaning. To me, if I have a picture on me forever, I want it to mean something. When I’m 80, I know my tattoo will convey the same message it does now.