Anthony Cowan Jr. cringed when the needle pierced into his skin on his 18th birthday. He felt a sharp pain as an “A,” in black ink, formed on the left side of his chest.
Cowan was in agony for another four hours. But when he got up from the leather chair to look in the Suitland tattoo parlor’s mirror, “AMBITIOUS” covered his chest, in all capital letters, except for the I’s.
Growing up, Cowan felt he never received the same admiration as other guards taller than his 6-foot frame. So since he was a freshman in high school, he wanted a tattoo to reflect his demeanor as he worked for respect. But his parents didn’t give him consent, so he waited until he reached adulthood.
On Oct. 7, 2015, the day he turned 18, Cowan drove 20 minutes in his Honda Accord from his Bowie home to the tattoo parlor after school.
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