Tattoo?

I have been debating getting a tattoo for awhile now, and i have my ideas pretty set. Problem is, i know in 10 years these will look like shit, and then i have a feeling ill regret them the older i get. Plus for my job that im hoping to do at a prison (or any job, matter of fact), i would REALLY want to cover these up.

So well first thought, you guessed it, the Polish eagle.

It means what it means. I am proud of my heritage, i am proud of where i come from, and i always want it to stay close to me. I think this would go on my chest. Problem with this one, is that its very detailed, and i wouldnt want it any bigger than like 2.5 inches. So the only way i think its possible is if i get it big, which i dont really want.



Second idea, another Polish thing.

This has a dual meaning thing, and one of them i am again not sure about. This is the closest picture i could find, but this is supposed to be the stars that are found on the Polish eagle's wings (look above). Long ago, Polish generals would get these on their upper chest/lower shoulders (on the front, hard to explain) just like the eagle, to represent that they are bound to their country. Problem is, that over time this developed a new meaning and the Russian mafia took over the idea. To them, any member of the red mafia that has these in the same spot that i want them in (different spots have different meanings to them) means that you follow the code of honor, pride, and respect of the red mafia. Typically they get these after being incarcerated for the first time, also meaning their first struggle behind bars (also what the Russians do, is the amount of points on the star represents years spent during that sentence). So the problem with this one is that people who know about Eastern European culture, will know that this is not a very good symbol at all anymore. The Hilton Head/Bluffton area might be a bit indifferent, but anywhere else i might get uncomfortable, not sure.

So what do you guys think? Both have great meaning to me, but both of them have significant problems. First one is very detailed, so if i were to get it, i would have to get it big. Second one means something good, but is also a very bad image to anyone who knows what it means to another (more dominant) culture. And the problem with both of them overall is that i dont know how i will feel about this as i get older.

So let me hear your opinions!