Anytime we visited a tattoo parlor, my crazy friends told me that my life would not be complete until I got a tattoo. I thought they were morons, but because they often invited me to parties with pastry and alcohol, I figured I should at least hear them out.

Their argument for the coolness of tattoos goes something like this:

After we browse in a local parlor for a couple minutes, someone points at a tattoo and exclaims, "How could you not want to be permanently scarred by something that rocks this hard? It's a one-in-a-million skull. I really think the flaming eye sockets would go great with your skin color. Come on; this is so you."

I routinely made up excuses for not getting one: I'd have no chance in a police lineup. It would be considered unprofessional at a naked job interview.

The real reason, of course, is that I'm afraid of commitment. How could I possibly feel the same way about something for the rest of my life?

I changed my mind because of writing this feature story on tattoos. The women I interviewed made me realize that paying tribute to something you care about or believe in is pretty powerful, and sexy too.

Since I heard such wonderful things about Sherry Carpozi, of The Blue Door, I asked her to ink me for the first time.

I love language, so I chose a phrase from one of my favorite poems. The poem is by Mary Oliver and titled When Death Comes. The phrase is "Married to Amazement." That's the state of consciousness I want to live in for the rest of my life.

I asked my sister, Laura, to come with me to The Blue Door to keep me company. She made me laugh a lot. I have to say it's a pretty weird thing to do when it's accompanied by a needle repeatedly piercing the skin. It made me think, "This is what it's like to be James Bond at the climax of every one of his movies."

Sherry was great, by the way. Very laidback, thoughtful and professional. She made me feel at home and did a terrific job helping me decide on the tattoo's look. I'm very pleased with the final product. I never thought I'd spend this much time admiring the base of my neck.

As I left The Blue Door with my first tattoo, I knew I was one step closer to being a badass.