Getting your first tattoo rarely happens in a perfectly calm, logical moment. More often, it arrives wrapped in adrenaline and emotion, with the sense that something meaningful is about to happen.

It’s been a month since I took one of the biggest risks of my life: getting a tattoo. I had been planning it for a while. I’d scroll through Pinterest and romanticize the idea of ink permanently ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. At 65, Sandee Althouse has gotten 17 tattoos in five months, turning to ink as self-care as her husband battles a ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kenny Jary of the social media account Patriotic Kenny. It has been edited for length and clarity. Back in the day, I always said that I wanted a ...