Getting a tattoo is a big deal. It’s something that will literally be a part of you for the rest of your life unless you choose to have it removed.
Usually someone would choose a tattoo that was meaningful in some way. It might show a special bond or signify something important. It might be a picture that has deeper meaning.
TikTok user Leah Holland had been thinking about getting a particular tattoo for a couple years before she finally got it. One of her friends had told her a quote that he thought really represented how Holland lives life. Holland loved the quote so much that she wanted it tattooed on her arm.
On March 4, 2020, Holland got the tattoo she had been dreaming about. She told BuzzFeed News that it was fine at first. However, just 2 days later Kentucky had its first case of COVID-19. The pandemic swept across America and major unexpected changes started happening. For example, we all started wearing face masks.
Do you remember a time when wearing a mask was a metaphor meaning that you’re being fake? Holland does, and that’s not how she lives her life. She’s always very real. That’s what her tattoo was all about. Watch the video below to see her tattoo for yourself.
@wakaflockafloccar##stitch with @hannanicbic I could NOT have had worse timing. ##fyp ##foryoupage ##tattoo ##worsttattoo ##winner P.S. I’m not anti-mask I promise 🤦🏻♀️♬ original sound – wakaflockafloccare
In case you didn’t catch it in the video, Holland’s tattoo reads, “Courageously and radically refuse to wear a mask.”
Yes, in an age of COVID-19, Holland found herself stuck with a tattoo that everyone would now assume meant she was against wearing face masks. She wore cardigans throughout the summer of 2020 to hide the tattoo she had wanted but was now embarrassed about.
Holland has found that sharing her story on TikTok and laughing about it has really helped her feel better about the poor timing of her tattoo.
Other TikTok users have gotten a good laugh out of Holland’s misfortunate tattoo timing. One comment reads, “March 2020? that didn’t just age bad. that curdled faster than milk in the summer sun.”
Another viewer wrote, “I’m so sorry that the context of your tattoo literally changed overnight after you got it.”
TikTok also agrees that Holland wins for worst tattoo. One comment reads, “You DID win! I thought you were overstating but your weren’t!”
Have you ever gotten a tattoo that you regretted? Do you think Holland should have the tattoo removed, or do you think we’ll all eventually remember the original meaning of not wearing a mask?