[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

One of my close friends is female and almost covered in tattoos head to toe, she's an artist and designs them herself and they all have some significant meaning to her (one in particular is of a necklace her late mother used to wear that she had tattooed around her neck). When we go out, admittedly a lot of people give her funny looks (although she's stunningly pretty and a lot of people also really appreciate them on her), but yes I'm sure a lot of people consider her to be unattractive because of them, and when she's older maybe they will look odd. But she doesn't have them done to appear attractive to other people, or even necessarily for the aesthetic that she sees herself when she looks at them, it's more about an emotional feeling she gets when she has them done, they all represent something important that she's been through in her life, and having it carved onto her body is a way that she deals with or commemorates those things. So it's more of a personal thing, rather than something that's 'for show' for other people. I know a lot of people don't get that, and I don't fully either because I don't have tattoos, but I wanted to explain it because knowing her as well I do, I think there's often a misconception about people who get a lot of tattoos as being attention seeking, or doing it for the benefit of other people, or to follow a trend or something, when it's usually quite the opposite, and they can be a way that some people choose to deal with deeply personal things. From her point of view, we all have emotional tattoos and scars on the inside, when something happens to us, so why not put them on the outside too and embrace them, if someone so chooses. And like she says herself when people ask her about what they'll look like when she's older, at least the ink on her body will distract from the wrinkles on her face

Bless her. But I don't think young people do it for 'show' Jamie - I think they just like tattoos (I keep typing 'tattoes' - I'll have to stop looking at my feet while I'm typing ) I know, from virtually, ALL the bright young things of my generation -men and women - that 90% of them regret having them, and most of the women hate having to wear long sleeved, high necked clothes in Summer in an attempt to 'cover them up'.

My suggestion for anyone who is sufficiently 'moved' by an 'experience' that they must record it, is buy a diary or a videocam. (just joking Jamie.)