A few days ago, Valentine’s Day came and went, and as an adult, I often see couples doing all sorts of cringe things—public displays of affection, long paragraphs on Instagram,Boyfriend/Girlfriend name tattoo, matching outfits, and over-the-top romantic gestures. And every time I roll my eyes, I remind myself:
Bro, you have no right to judge. You once got a girl’s name tattooed on your wrist.
Yes, it happened. I got my girlfriend’s name tattooed.
The ‘Brilliant’ Idea That Led to Inked Regret
Back when I was a hopelessly-in-love teenager, my girlfriend came up with this genius idea—Let’s get each other’s names tattooed! My brain knew this wasn’t the smartest move, but my heart? That thing was on a solo mission to ruin my future.
I wasn’t completely convinced at first, so I pulled the oldest trick in the book—“You go first.”
And she did. Without hesitation. Now, my ego and my love were on the line. I had to do it.
Luckily, one of my friends was a tattoo artist, so we asked him to ink us. But before he started, I casually whispered in his ear:“Bro, write it very simple so it’s easy to cover up if things go wrong.”
Did I know I was making a mistake? Yes.
Did I still do it? Also yes.
I was in love. I thought this was forever. Besides, it wasn’t just the commitment that scared me—I had never gotten a tattoo before, and one of my friends had actually fainted while getting one. So naturally, I was terrified.
But surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. The tattoo was done, and I was still standing. We took cute pictures, posted them online, and felt like the most romantic couple ever.
Then, a few months later, my girlfriend took things a step further—she got my name tattooed on her belly. At the time, it felt like the ultimate flex.
But now? Oh god, the cringe.
The Breakup & The Batman Cover-Up
Fast forward to the inevitable breakup. She got her tattoos covered up immediately. Meanwhile, I spent a whole year being a sad, heartbroken idiot, staring at my tattoo like it was some tragic reminder of lost love, waiting for her to come back.
Spoiler alert: She didn’t.
Eventually, I snapped out of it and decided to move on. Instead of removing the tattoo, I did what any self-respecting Batman fan would do—I covered it up with The Dark Knight logo.
If love betrayed me, at least I could pretend to be a superhero. (Though now, it kind of looks like a butterfly. Never mind.)
So Here’s Some Good Advice – Please Listen
- Never tattoo someone’s name. No matter how in love you are or how “forever” it feels, forever is a long time, and breakups happen faster than tattoo removals.
- If you do make the mistake, have a solid cover-up plan. Trust me, looking at a tattooed name of your ex every day is not fun.
- Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. This applies to everything in life, not just tattoos.
- If you must get inked, choose something meaningful. Get a tattoo that will still make sense even if life takes a different turn.
Love makes us do dumb things, and that’s okay. We all have our moments, but the key is to learn from them.
What’s the Dumbest Thing You’ve Done in Love?
Have you ever done something cringeworthy in the name of love? Let me know in the comments! I promise I won’t judge (I’ve clearly lost that right).
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