Jamie McCoy’s father, mother and older brother all have tattoo sleeves. So when Jamie got her first tattoo at the age of 17, it wasn’t a surprise.

McCoy, who is a junior television, radio and film major, has a love derivative tattoo on the inside of her upper arm. When the math problem is solved, her tattoo means, “Love is greater than the sum of its positive parts.”

When McCoy first revealed she wanted a tattoo, her mother was slightly hesitant but still very supportive. Although her mom draws a fine line between parenting and friendship, McCoy said they are still very close.

“We literally are like the same person, and it frustrates [my mom] because when we’re not getting along, it’s like fighting herself,” McCoy said with a laugh.

On the day she went to the parlor, McCoy’s mother went with her and got a tattoo herself. To McCoy’s surprise, the pain was not nearly as bad as she expected, she said.

Afterward, some of McCoy’s friends were shocked that her parents allowed her to get a tattoo even though she was only 17. One of her teachers was critical of her parents, but McCoy said she won’t let negative comments get to her.

Instead, McCoy is proud of her mother for supporting her and helping her through the process.

“I feel like sometimes people judge her for it, but I don’t think my mom allowing me to get a tattoo has anything to do with her parenting. I never understood some of that judgment,” McCoy said.

Although McCoy doesn’t regret her tattoo, she does occasionally regret its location. She said it can be difficult to hide in a professional environment, and sometimes she’d go to great lengths, such as wearing a blazer to work even on a hot sticky day, in order to keep her tattoo a secret.

That being said, McCoy said she still loves her tattoo because of the message it carries.

“Math just made so much sense to me, because there’s always one right answer,” McCoy said. “I thought the tattoo kind of embodied that same idea. Love is so complicated, but the equation just makes it that much more simple.”

Published on December 8, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact: emmichae@syr.edu