by Jet Eichhorn

Created on: April 16, 2008

We all know tattoos are awesome and a great way to promote individualism in today's society. Are they for everyone, though? I often wonder when the older people in my life got tattoos and for what reason. Were they ready? Out for revenge? Or just plain drunk? I want to make sure people get tattoos for the right reasons, and not the drunk, hurt reasons. More teenagers get tattoos than adults, why is that?

Well, for one, the temptation. You have to be at least 18 to get a tattoo? Come on, we all know that we drink before we're 21, so kids are defiantly going to sneak into a parlor, just because they want to break the law.

Also, parents have a dirty reputation for pissing their kids off, so the revenge factor comes in big time here. My mom would die if I got a nasty tattoo, and so would many other mothers and fathers. Kids want revenge, so they hurt their parents by getting a big, ugly tattoo on their forehead. Not very nice.

If you really want a tattoo, please, please, be sure the image is something that is extremely important to you. Don't get any names or faces, because you never know what could happen. A divorce, breakup, bad fight, and a bunch of other crazy shit. Perhaps a religious symbol, poem line, a song lyric, or a family member. These things are forever embedded and loved by every human.

Just think, if you get a tattoo now, what would it look like 20 years? 50 years? Pretty faded and torn out, right? A black spot on your arm, and for all your nursing home buddies to see? Yeah, kind of sad. Tattoos are forever! It's painful and expensive to remove them, and they are never fully removed. Oh, and sleeves? Those things are going to look ridiculous in about 20 years, you wait. We can live without tattoos, so don't throw your flesh out like that, at least not until your completely sure of what you're going to get.

Get a tattoo in a discreet place, like under the sleeve of your shirt or your lower half of your body. Small tattoos are good for ankles, wrists, necks, and hips. Larger tattoos are fit best for your forearm, back, or side. Avoid brightly colored tattoos, they just throw off your natural skin color.

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