Winona Forever

"I was thrilled when he got the tattoo. What woman wouldn't be?" - Winona Ryder, on the tattoo of then-fiance Johnny Depp, which read "Winona Forever"

"The split in 1993 was during the filming of Ed Wood, and there were days he would come crying, I felt so bad. I asked him why it happened but all he said was 'It wasn't her fault, it was mine.' And when he met Kate in January of 1994, it wasn't the same as Winona. I felt weird to be around him, like he wasn't acting like Johnny anymore. It's almost like Winona took Johnny's soul, Johnny's love." - Tim Burton, on the breakup between Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder

 

To celebrate their engagement and eternal love, in 1992 Johnny Depp had the words "Winona Forever" tattooed onto his arm. But nothing lasts forever. The couple split within a year, and even the tattoo didn't last long after that. (Through the miracles of laser surgery, it now reads "Wino Forever".)

There are lessons to be learned from tattooing, but permanence isn't one of them. Maybe a tattoo is just a simple reminder that a lot of things get under our skin, and that those things can hurt a bit. Maybe tattoos just help us remember times we don't want to forget. Or maybe they serve a reminder that nothing lasts forever, even when we want it to. Maybe especially then. Even the things we think are permanent or long-lasting, like tattoos themselves...