Regrets

In my early 20's I got a tattoo on my ankle. I've spent the last 2 years having treatments to remove it. The treatments are much more painful then the actual tattoo. It feels like a thousand little rubber bands snapping at you all at once. I remember when I originally went in for the tattoo, I thought it would be this awesome experience with the pilot and my friends with me. Nope, they left me to go out to lunch and I had it done by myself. It didn't really have any significance either. Over the years I thought about covering it up but I thought some day I'd be able to afford having it removed. Only took a little over 10 years but now its almost gone. I thought about getting another tattoo on my shoulder after all this and each time I go in for a treatment I'm reminded that I shouldn't.
I don't think I regret the original tattoo, at that time in my life its what I wanted. And luckily for me I can have it removed. This made me think about other things that have happened in my life. I don't think I'd want a picture perfect rosy life, how would I know what it was like to deal with hard times. How could I help people if I hadn't experienced anything bad? I think those difficult times are what makes us who we are and help us relate to others.