Tattoos Calling My Name

I have a complete needle phobia.

It kicked in around second grade. Suddenly, the prospect of a shot or blood work was overwhelming. I would agonize for weeks over a doctor's appointment for fear of having to get a shot.

Everyone said I'd grow out of it. At twenty-eight, though, I still obsess over the possibility of getting a shot or blood drawn. When I have a doctor's appointment, I break into a nervous sweat. If a needle is on television or if someone even talks about one, I have to leave the room. 

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous.

Despite my phobia, or maybe because of it, the one thing near the top of my bucket list is to get a tattoo.

Someday, I'll face my fear...maybe. When I finally brave up to face up to the needle, I already have not one, but three picked out! Here are the tats I'm dying to have.

1. Walt Whitman's "O Me! O Life!"

I'm not brave enough to go all in for the entire poem, which is one of my favorites. I'm going for the final lines, pictures above.

I love the message, the idea that we all have a part to play. I also love that it talks about contributing a verse; I feel like this would be symbolic of my writing career. I would add a quill to the end of the line to symbolize my writing. This is my first tattoo I want to get...and will probably be the last knowing me. 

2. Annabel Lee by Poe

Surprise! Another literary nerd tattoo :)

Poe is one of my favorite classic writers. My husband has the lines from "The Raven," but I love this poem because it's a softer side of Poe.  Check out the design on Pinterest.

3. Tale as Old as Time

I loved Beauty and the Beast as a child. I love this tattoo because it's simple but meaningful. I will never, ever get it on my hand though...my husband told me his wedding ring was excruciating. Eek!