[ WP ] Tattoos give you power , but always take something away . You have just gotten your first one , and the results are ... surprising .

I just turned 18 and for as long as I could remember I wanted a tattoo. I even knew exactly what it would look like. It would be Dory from *Finding Nemo* with `` just keep swimming'' written underneath it. 
 
 When I first saw that movie it spoke to me. My parents were getting divorced and it felt like my world was shattered. All I had was advice from a little blue fish. But that did n't stop my mother from trying to intervene. She warned me about tattoos taking away whatever they give and that they are n't worth it. 
 
 But that did n't stop me. 
 
 I was an adult now. I could do what *I* wanted. Her opinion no longer mattered; so I took the plunge. 
 
 I walked into the store called Inklings. It sounded perfect for a first timer like me. The artist was so nice although his tattoos scared me at first. He had the Toostie Pop Owl in the middle of his neck. When I asked him about it he said `` it helps me solve problems.'' I wondered if all artists were this cryptic. 
 
 My shoulder felt like it was on fire. The needle dug through my skin as if it were clawing up a mountain. I closed my eyes and white-knuckled the armrest doing my best not to cry out. Just when I thought I could n't handle anymore there was a break. The outline had been finished and now he asked if I was ready for the colour -- a process that was even more painful. I looked at myself in the mirror and those timeless words stared back at me. My mind bellowed *just keep swimming*. 
 
 And I did. 
 
 It took another hour but there it was forever on my shoulder. A reminder whenever I needed it. My mother was not impressed, she said I would regret it. But I knew she was wrong. This was for me and no one else. She did n't have to like it because I did. 
 
 *** 
 
 I dove into Lake Cobalt. The cold water swirled around me and my mind finally felt clear. It was almost as if all my worries vanished the moment I hit the water. I've never experienced water like this before. It felt like I could see all the way across the lake underwater. I felt at home. 
 
 I dove deeper hoping to experience that rush of clarity again. The further I went, the better I felt. I was at peace. 
 
 My lungs should be desperate for oxygen, but they are n't. I was baffled. I have n't been swimming since the tattoo; they said to avoid soaking it for at least two weeks. I was extra good and waited a full month. I stopped to ponder this but the thought left as soon as it entered. The waves carried it far away from me. 
 
 I continued my descent as the waves brought a new thought to the surface of my mind. 
 
 Just keep swimming. 
 
 Just keep swimming. 
 
 Just keep swimming.
