TATTOOS

[MotherEarth]

A subject I know nothing about.  Painful?  Cost?  Why?

[Maximus]

Painful?   Check.

Cost?  Depends on the artist and the complexity of the tattoo.  Count on a few hundred dollars for a simple one.

Why?  People are also looking for ways to make themselves stand out as individuals.  It's body art.  I suppose people get tattoos for the same reason they pierce various parts of their body.

[Givens]

I think tattoos work on a certain type of person.  If you are an Army commando with combat experience, it seems natural that you would decorate your body with art, just as the warriors of many cultures have for centuries.  If you are an attorney, like me, I think it's wishful thinking that makes one get a tattoo...  Despite a non-exciting job and a somewhat ordinary life, one wants to feel adventurous.  It's a voice stating, "Look at me, I'm a bad a--"

[MotherEarth]

The wife of a friend of ours started off with a very small rose on her ankle.  She
confided that tats are addictive and was adding more.

So I started noticing the "body art" here and there.  The best place to see examples
is at the WalMart (see Big Evil on another thread)...there is/was a skinny 20 year old
with a full color, full back picture of a fairy in flight.  It was fascinating, wonder how
may Big Macs she could have filled up on with the money spent?

Givens, you don't need a tat to be bad, just yell out "OJ still owes attorney fees!"

[xbluehorusx]

painful: kind of. it feels like constant pinching
cost: upwards of 75 bucks. but remember this depends on the artist and location. if you get it done in a toursit spot, be prepared to spend a lot of money, even for a small simple one. if you get a small tatt, with one color, you're looking at 75 bucks. and that's not including tip.
why: self expression and individuality. however, something like half of every 18-25 year old has one tattoo, so individuality is out the window. also, have you noticed how a bunch of people get the same tattoo because they think it's cool and looks good on someone else? i think that kind of says something about how self expression in our society is really all about conformity, and that too shoots the whole individuality thing out the window. however, i am one to talk considering i have a celtic cross tattoo haha.

are you thinking about getting a tattoo? or just curious about body art?

A subject I know nothing about.  Painful?  Cost?  Why?

[MotherEarth]

No, not planning any.  Just trying to overcome a distaste for tats and wondering
why I have such.  I know they are artwork and see quite a few celebreties and
wannabes with extensive "works of art".

We live in a remote part of the county and when a couple with piercings and
tattoos came knocking, I was alarmed even though they announced they had
come to share wonderful news...

Welcome to Trumalia...are you Egyptian or just like blue and horus? or x and x?

[Runner]

What MotherEarth hasn't told you is that tattoos were strictly a sailors-only decoration back in the day.     Am I right, MotherEarth? 

I have a tattoo myself.  Just a simple arm-band.  I like it, but when I envision myself as a grandparent with the same tattoo, I have to wonder what my grandkids will think.  Hopefully they'll think I'm a cool grampsters!

[MotherEarth]

Yep, but the military tattoos were not around the neck accompanied with a barbed
wire thingy.  And after going through WWII, most were glad to be home and we to
have them there.

My hubby has diabetes in the extreme and has lost his lower leg to the disease from
a blister that ate the bones in his foot.  Hiking, you know.  He is the tall tales teller in
the family and has told the grandboy that an alligator ate his leg, probably from Disney
World.  My daughter is appalled he told such a story, but the boy gathered all his
birthday guests around the hubby and they all added to the story and were proud to be
in on the epic!  So, Runner, you have a few years to work on your story.   

[xbluehorusx]

sailors and convicted criminals. i watched a documentary about tatts recently, on the discovery channel or history channel i believe.

i've had this obsession with ancient egypt since i was 10. and my name describes a tattoo i want to get on my left shoulder blade.

Yep, but the military tattoos were not around the neck accompanied with a barbed
wire thingy.  And after going through WWII, most were glad to be home and we to
have them there.

My hubby has diabetes in the extreme and has lost his lower leg to the disease from
a blister that ate the bones in his foot.  Hiking, you know.  He is the tall tales teller in
the family and has told the grandboy that an alligator ate his leg, probably from Disney
World.  My daughter is appalled he told such a story, but the boy gathered all his
birthday guests around the hubby and they all added to the story and were proud to be
in on the epic!  So, Runner, you have a few years to work on your story.   

[Runner]

MotherEarth, I will keep working on my stories.  Your husband sounds like an inspiration!

Bluehorus, your tattoo sounds pretty interesting.  Just make sure you get a decent artist (as you already know).

[Samantha]

I had to get in my two-cents worth.  I think tattoos can be absolutely beautiful.  But when they're bad, the gravity of the mistake is unsettling.  Getting them removed involves a seriously painful and expensive procedure.  I have a tatoo on my lower back that my friends refer to as a "tramp stamp."  I find the term a bit offensive, but what can I do?  It's a Celtic design.  Having a tattoo myself, I find that I am attracted to men with tattoos.  This has not benefitted by love life.

[xbluehorusx]

i have yet to come across a guy that only has a couple of tatts. i don't like it when a guy is covered in them, and the same goes for females. i love body art as long as it isn't excessive.