[Stark777]

"I may be the least angry Angry man you will ever meet." I really do not want this tatooed upon my mind & body for eternity.

In actual fact, I do not have any tatoos, nor have I ever had any piercings.

Do you like these things? If so, ask yourself why? Have you had an idea of such awesome proportions that in the future you will only want to be known as "oh here comes "dragon" or "flower" etc. and even worse (for men) "oh here comes anchor" or "here comes MUM" and I hope you are fully aware of such labels far, far, far (nearly got stuck there writing far forever (in my mind)) worse.

Stark777

[Elysium]

I have six facial piercings and three tattoos and I love each and every one of them.

Each one of them represents a time in my life, whether that be a milestone or a crisis and I have never regretted any of them.

If I am to grow old and gray, I look forward to growing old with them. Someday I may decide to take out my piercings but that will be a choice for the future.

Until then, I am exited to be planning and saving for my next tattoo and thinking of possibly getting another piercing.

And No...I'm not a dead beat crazy kid...I'm a professional Registered Nurse and I have worked everywhere from ICU/Step-down Cardiology to Orthopedics, and now I am a Mental Health Registered Nurse.

[johnsmom]

I like my tattoos. For what reason? I guess because for the same reason that some people like to dress top notch while others prefer jeans and t shirts. I like it when people complement the roses, which represent my mom dad sister brother and my recently deceased grandmother. And the butterflies which represents my three beautiful children. I hope I an not coming off as being mean. i have had to explain this to my mom. Yes I have the ever famous heart with the banner that says MOM. :-).

[ruffy]

Tiny little belly button ring........my little secret that no one knows about but me. Why? I think they're cute. Im also a nurse and I have a patient in her eighties who went out a few years before with a group of her closest senior girl friends and they all came back with tatoos. She has tiny butterflies tatooed around one of her ankles like a bracelet. Its adorable. She gets alot of comments on it too and I think she likes that. To each his own.....

[Naturefreak]

I got a couple but don't really think about them too much.
They will be gone when I am I guess.

My ears are pierced. I guess I'm boring---Gee---I didn't


know you were an R.N., Elysium! And you too ruffy!!! I make three here--R.N. outta NYS--------------Greetings fellow professionals!!!

I don't care, I will not do CPR unless I have my own mask with me!!!!!lol
-----------------------------------------------theo

[Soul Quake]

Originally Posted by Stark777

Have you had an idea of such awesome proportions that in the future you will only want to be known as "oh here comes "dragon" or "flower" etc. and even worse (for men) "oh here comes anchor" or "here comes MUM" and I hope you are fully aware of such labels far, far, far (nearly got stuck there writing far forever (in my mind)) worse.

Tattoos aren't always tacky and meaningless as you are making them out to be. And people shouldn't care what others label them as.

Tattoos? Perhaps, but not piercings. I want it to mean something special, and I would put it in an area not prone to stretching/sagging with age (or at least not nearly as much).

I had my ears pierced as a kid and hated it. Never again

[sabby]

I waited until I was 43yrs old to get my first tattoo. My girls had gotten some before I did. LOL

I started off with a very small tribal heart above my right ankle. A couple of years later, I had 2 small green leaves tattooed under the heart with a very tiny inverted heart between the 2 leaves.

Two years ago while visiting the UK, I decided to get a tattoo there as well. I couldn't pass up the price!!! On my upper left arm I got a rather large heart with red outline color and 3 blue and white flowers around the heart. It pretty much looks tribal I guess. I do wish to have more work done on it though, sometime soon.

I know it's hard for some people to understand why others would mark up their bodies with tattoos. I think it's a wonderful way of expression if that's what you are into. Some will even say that it's a form of self injury. I suppose that could be true for some. I'm not into causing myself pain or watching myself bleed, so that's not the case for me. I give of my heart to people, I wear my heart on my sleeve many times....so why not show it?

BTW....I'm a mom of 2 daughters, grandmother of 3 grandsons.....I've been in the professional world with and without my tats.....I'm not defined by them, I just enjoy them! I certainly respect that they are not right for everyone....and that's quite ok!

[Stark777]

The reason I asked is because I met a man once who had a spider's web tatooed across his entire face and shaven head (I dread to think what else he was helping us with beneath his clothes).

All I know is he had the most innocent and purest look of fury that I have ever seen in his eyes. You didn't even need to wonder if you should respect him or not - it just exhuded from him wherever he went.

It wasn't a call to arms in the defense of tatoos and piercings. The truth is I find tatoos intriguing but have not seen a single one that I have ever wanted on my body to date. Piercings worry me because some people ujse them as a flag of psychological pain and suffering and some use it to say look at me! I've done this to show you that I am liable to self-harm! They shout that at me! Without saying a word!

- please, you're driving me away already

Originally Posted by Stark777

"I may be the least angry Angry man you will ever meet." I really do not want this tatooed upon my mind & body for eternity.

In actual fact, I do not have any tatoos, nor have I ever had any piercings.

Do you like these things? If so, ask yourself why? Have you had an idea of such awesome proportions that in the future you will only want to be known as "oh here comes "dragon" or "flower" etc. and even worse (for men) "oh here comes anchor" or "here comes MUM" and I hope you are fully aware of such labels far, far, far (nearly got stuck there writing far forever (in my mind)) worse.

Stark777

[sabby]

I can understand the image you are portraying by that man with the spiderweb tattooed to his face and head. That to me is extreme.

I think the way your original post was worded Stark that some may have thought you were anti-tattoo/piercing.

[AAAAA]

My daughter has inherited her father’s love of tattoos. The first was a memorial tattoo of an angel with her grandfather’s name (who btw rolled over in his grave when she did it as he had religious objections to them in general) and her grandmother’s name on each wing. They died 11 months apart.

I don’t care for them myself, but the artist did a stunning job.

Her second is the sheet music for Somewhere over the Rainbow, that starts on the top of her foot and winds all the way around her ankle and leg almost up to her knee. She has collected musical water globes since she was young. The one I bought for her while she was in the hospital recovering from being mauled by a dog played that song.

She has a nose ring, just because and a small stud in her upper lip (done these days to imitate Marilyn Monroe’s beauty mark). She had a puncture scar there from the attack and decided to decorate it.

Her tattoos and piercings are very tasteful. I cannot comprehend those full body tattoos, nor those that cover a person’s entire face, neck, or head.

*ahem*

As a, well, peircer in training, who isint really practising right now, i felt the need to step in here and speak.

-Do people peirce or tattoo as a form of self harm?
- Yes. And no. Some people who have been self harmers see it as a way to fill BOTH needs. Their craving or desire for self punishment is fufilled without being expressly negative, and they are left with a reminder to love themselves more. Some say this is a good thing, some say its still self harm. I dont make that judgement.

-Are certain tattoo styles inherently bad or signify the person who is tattooed with them is dangerous?
- not really anymore. There are some, which I would not second guess. Anyone with a teardrop below their eye is someone you want to be careful around - because although it means different things to some people, it CAN mean the number of people the person has killed. for SOME. Thats how it was started, in prisons. Tattoos on the face, neck, or other very visual place where ones eye would naturally look do seem over the top to me. However, again, this is a rite of passage for some people.

more later..

[Evening]

I have few piercings, I've my ears done since I was 5, I barely wear earrings now though because I have monkey ears, I have my bellybutton done- I got it done when I was 16 because I wanted to be awesome, I could never rebel with anything though, when my mamma saw it she wanted hers done too! And I got my nose done when I was 17 which was unbelievably painful. I have taken that one out though. I'm over piercings now. I used to love my bellybutton ring and bought some really nice rings, I have a chain one that is like a long flower with a dragonfly. But I never wear it now, I don't even think twice about it.

I have been considering getting tattoos though. I have 2 that I want, and I know once I get one I'm going to get a million. I can't decide between which to get on the back of my neck and which on my wrist. One is ''Why do we keep strangling life, wound this Earth, crucify its soul...''. I'm a super sap for all that Heal The World, Imagine, let's all hold hands with black people and white people and save the planet stuff. I cry watching footage of the Berlin Wall coming down. I'm just super, super lame.
The other tattoo I want is of different religious/spiritual symbols of different religions to represent the need for cultural unity. Also because I know a few people who are, uh, prejudice of certain others, and man, it pisses me the *expletive* off. So I want to rebel against the hate of others.

I am just a chicken, I know it's something I'm stuck with. Well I know I can get them removed, even though it's expensive, but I don't know which to get where.

[CindyLuWho]

I have a tattoo also. I got it at 43-ish after thinking about it for two years. For me, it was a way to push my own personal envelope a bit. I find every year or two I want to try something new. Otherwise, I stagnate. It's fun when people find out because I don't look the type. But I love my baby elephant tattoo. It has meaning for me, and I feel proud that I pushed my own boundaries a bit and did something a little daring. I think about getting another once in a while... I think it has to have meaning for the wearer as it will be with you forever. My 75 year old mother jokes that at least I have a distinguishing mark in case I'm ever in an accident.

And I DON'T self-inflict, so it had nothing to do with that. maybe just a bit of the rebel in me coming out when I am usually so proper...

Like wearing black lace undies under your stiff, boring business suit.

[sabby]

I so relate to your comments Cindy!!!

[Stark777]

Boragg Thungg,

Tharg would like to inform you that Stark777 feels a little more hopeful after reading this post but has suggested to him that he leaves his mood icon as "doubtful" for the time being.

Tharg The Mighty

Originally Posted by CindyLuWho

I have a tattoo also. I got it at 43-ish after thinking about it for two years. For me, it was a way to push my own personal envelope a bit. I find every year or two I want to try something new. Otherwise, I stagnate. It's fun when people find out because I don't look the type. But I love my baby elephant tattoo. It has meaning for me, and I feel proud that I pushed my own boundaries a bit and did something a little daring. I think about getting another once in a while... I think it has to have meaning for the wearer as it will be with you forever. My 75 year old mother jokes that at least I have a distinguishing mark in case I'm ever in an accident.

And I DON'T self-inflict, so it had nothing to do with that. maybe just a bit of the rebel in me coming out when I am usually so proper...

Like wearing black lace undies under your stiff, boring business suit.

[A_Long_ways]

I have a few tattoos and had a few piercings while growing up (ear cartilage, eyebrow). Ditched the piercings somewhere along the way but obviously kept the tattoos. My first tattoo I got with my brother, it was a really cool experience for us. The guys that were tattooing us were actually brothers too, made it all the cooler. We both got Celtic crosses, though different variations and in different spots.

The next one I got when I was in a pretty bad place mentally. I guess it was a mix of wanting to express myself somehow and wanting to feel a bit of physical pain to offset mental distress. It's a rugged tattoo, purposely drawn a bit skewed to remind me that nothing in life is perfect. There's a long story behind it, but it's very personal.

The final one that I got (but won't be the last) I got while I was working a suit & tie job. I felt like I was losing my individuality and trying to fit myself into the mold that society thought I should be. So, one day after work I hopped on the subway to the village and stolled into the shop. Needless to say I got a few funny looks from other customers but the artist that had done both of my other tattoos was there and welcomed me right in. It was another Celtic tattoo, a big Celtic shield on my left shoulder. This is my favorite one, simply because he did an absolutely stunning job and it certainly helped me regain a feeling of individuality.

So I guess, from my own experience at least, there are many different reasons to get tattoo's. I will never get anything to make a statement though, or anything to go with any trend. All of my tattoo's have been well thought out and are simple symbols that will withstand the test of time. As for extremely visible tattoo's on someones face/neck, I can't help but think they regret it sometimes, it really limits you socially in terms of work and relationships. I think Cindy put it really well when she said it's a little bit of rebel when I'm usually proper. Though I never wore any black lace panties under any business attire

[thine_self_untrue]

To me, tattoos and piercings are as unique and beautiful as the people who wear them. Even on this thread you can see all the stories of how meaningful body art is to people. It's powerful self expression and I think the way we feel about our apperance can often make or break our overall self esteem.
I only have my ears pierced, but when I'm on my own and away from the influence of my conservative parents, I might get some more.

[Skully]

I have over 50 tattoos, my eyebrow and tongue pierced. I love tattoos and almost have a full sleeve on my left arm. I get strange looks because I am female but oh well, if they don't like it they can look away.

[Typo]

LOL I actually never thought I would ever get a tattoo, I've always liked them but I never thought I myself would get one.

I got one for myself as a birthday present the day before I turned 19, I love birds, they have such a powerful symbolism to me, I could go on all day on how much they mean to me and all the diffrent meanings, but noone really has time for that

I got a feather tattooed right below my neck, to me it symbolizes so much, my love for birds, it is in memory of my grandmothers who loved birds and would take me bird watching when I was younger, and it was for me in my step of healing a way of saying this was my life, my body, and nobody is in control in my life but me.

[wottesworthgurl]

I really like piercings. But I would never get a tattoo. I have my own reasons. Right now, I only have one piercing (my ears)I want more but my Mom probably wouldn't let me. I want 3 more piercings on my ear including a bar & I also want a nose piercing but with a really small stud. I want a belly piercing but those can easily get stuck on things and ripped out...so probably not going to get that

[AtreyuFreak]

Originally Posted by Elysium

And No...I'm not a dead beat crazy kid...I'm a professional Registered Nurse and I have worked everywhere from ICU/Step-down Cardiology to Orthopedics, and now I am a Mental Health Registered Nurse.

This is awesome--I'm going to college this fall to major in nursing, and I've been putting off getting a lip ring again until I know whether or not my job allows it. I think the key is whether they look tasteful, as nose studs and earrings can, or if they look "gothic", "punk" or whatever it is that people stereotype facial piercings as...does that make sense?

...shutting up now.

[Moreta]

I have 7 tattoos, and I had my eyebrow pierced in college. All of my tattoos represent an important part of my life. I plan on getting my whole back done. I would love to get a sleeve, but I don't like wearing long sleeve shirts, and I don't think people would trust an accountant handling their money that is covered in tattoos.

Unless I did accounting for all the tattoo shops in the area....that would be awesome...but I wouldn't make any money because I would just tell them to pay me in tattoos...heh.

At work now, I usually have 2 tattoos showing, but that's because one is on the top of my foot, and the other one is on my ankle. But if I wore pants and shoes, instead of the usual cropped pants and birkenstocks, you would never know I had any.

[ruffy]

(((Atreyufreak))) Glad to hear you are going into nursing. You may want to hold off on that piercing...Many schools require you remove them or cover them up with a bandaid. I know the nursing students who train at my facility have to do this, because they are always coming to me asking for bandaids and complaining about it. Im sorry...... Thats why I got a tiny one one my belly button. That way I can secretly flash it if I see a cute Dr. coming by!!! Just kidding of course!!!