Cool tattoos. Nope, I wouldn't tattoo myself, but then I won't pierce my ears. Sister, an unlikely tattoo candidate, is planning on a 5 year cancer survivor tattoo. Apparently those are a big thing these days.

Oh, goody, chris. There is another woman in the world who doesn't have pierced ears.

No tattoos for me, either.

No tattoos or pierced ears for me. Both would cause more pain than ever seemed worthwhile to me.

I saw that link on Facebook this morning. Some of the art is just amazing. Very cool, but not for me. It's not the pain, I just can't imagine making the decision to have something inked permanently on my body. What if I change my mind? And I always wonder if the folks who tattoo themselves obviously and extensively ever think about what the art will look like when they hit 50 or 60? (There will be sagging, that's all I'm saying.) Something small that could be covered if need be I can completely understand, but a whole sleeve makes my head spin with worry.

I've thought about it, but the only thing I could ever imagine wanting to have inked forever upon me would be the names of my children. However, I don't see a need (or maybe I'm just chicken). But I do have pierced ears.

Both my daughter and granddaughter have tatts. My son took me to have my ears pierced, promising me it wouldn't hurt. I don't recall that it did.
He said it would solve the problem of what to give me as gifts. Not one pair of earrings have I ever had from him!
A Scanpan advert shown in Australia reveals the danger of having tatts as one grows older. I don't know if it was shown elsewhere.

I cannot even imagine my life without pierced ears, as I love my special collection of unique earrings.

However, I would never, ever consider getting a tatoo for any reason. I marvel at how the tatoo craze has taken over so many --- not just the young folks, but those much older, male and female, both. Not my style!

I once saw a cute tattoo that briefly intrigued me. However it was on a very young girl with the perfect figure of youthful good health. I thought about aging skin (even well-cared-for aging skin) and decided No.

Both of my 20-something daughters got a couple of tattoos each, though my son, a more conservative soul, did not. Multiple piercings, too. The older daughter had one tattoo she grew to regret, and she has spent a lot of money and endured a fair amount of pain to remove it. They both like their remaining tattoos. While I was disturbed when they got them (as teenagers without my permission), I now see no problem with them. They have become adults and it is their decision now.

I suspect that tattoos became popular in this generation because their parents (us) broke so many other taboos that there simply wasn't much left to pick from. They had to find some way to offend us! I do wonder how their children will manage to upset them. However, I am confident that they will find a way.

Rosefolly

No. Not never, not noway.

My brother-in-law had tattoos on his legs when he was in his twenties. He spent a small fortune on getting them removed with laser treatment when he was in his forties.

(I sometimes wonder, now that they are back in fashion, whether he regrets spending the money getting them removed.)

I don't have pierced ears either ;) But all the women in my family do. My wife has occasionally talked about getting her nose pierced, but I've made it clear I'm NOT keen, and I hope that will be sufficient discouragement.

I have considered getting a tattoo, but not one related to my profession. I really don't fancy having a picture of St. Jerome anywhere on my anatomy, he being the only thing I can think of that would be an obvious tattoo for my profession. Besides, I might change fields and then what?

Much better to get something relating to my interests, like a book.

I kind of like the "shusher" but only on someone else. My skin isn't getting any tighter...

Have a look at these tattoos inspired by children's books. Some are truly works of art, although I prefer seeing them in the book rather than etched on someone's flesh. However, I would consider the Where's Waldo tattoo, it is so clever!

Here is a link that might be useful: amazing tattoos

Wow! The quality of artwork on those is impressive, and I agree, the Waldo tattoo is very clever. I particularly liked the Narnia lamp post, very simple but still evocative. Some of the tattoos were enormous - I just can't get my brain around that kind of commitment to ink!

Regarding enormous tattoos, I just finished Tan Twan Eng's Booker finalist, The Garden of Evening Mists, in which horimono (large traditional Japanese tattoos) figure prominently. Of the handful of Bookers I read this year, I enjoyed this one the most. Of course it had me googling horimono. The thought of needles make me lightheaded, so not even a teeny tatt for me.