Did you ever wonder why so many people are getting body piercings and tattoos?

By David H. McClelland

Everywhere I go, I see people of all ages, from teens to the elderly, with tattoos and piercings. The ones that I most dislike are the ones on professional athletes that the kids look up to. Many are decorated from head to toe. That seems irresponsible !!!

Years ago, the only people that I remember having tattoos were sailors or former sailors who claimed they got their tattoos when they were drunk on shore leave. Not so today.

I think the tattoos that I find most disturbing are the ones from the neck up. There are simply no items of apparel that will ever cover them. If they later decide they wish they didn't have them, it is just too bad. Some say that it is just a fad. Well, fads come and go, but tattoos last forever. I wonder whether a potential employer would hire a visibly tattooed applicant.

Why do all of these people get tattoos? We discussed this subject where I worked and one young lady told me she had a tattoo. When I asked what it was, she said it was a mushroom. When I asked where it was, she said you couldn't see it unless she was wearing her bikini. Then, I asked her why she had a mushroom tattooed on her. Her reply was a classic. She said, "I wanted to see if I would." Apparently, she wanted to see if she had the nerve to get a tattoo. She will have a lifetime to reflect on her decision.

I did some research on this question and here are some of the reasons people gave for getting tattoos: "Just because I could." "For self-expression." "For shock value."

Body piercings look bad too, in my opinion, but if the wearer changes his or her mind later, they can remove the rings and the holes will eventually disappear or become less noticeable. I must admit that I flinch every time I see a young person with a ring in their eyebrow or nose. They just look like they must have been painful to have done and they sure look like they would be uncomfortable thereafter. Do they do that for the same reasons, do you think?

There are alternatives to both tattoos and body piercings. There are temporary tattoos and rings that don't require body piercing. It would certainly be advisable to try those methods before making the lifetime decision to get the real thing.