I live in a beach town that's also home to a university, so I see LOTS of people with tattoos, but I rarely see anyone who seemed to have put a whole lot of thought into what they chose. As a matter of fact, many just seem downright ridiculous. Like the woman with a pair of handguns inked on the back of her calves, or the one with a hamburger drawn on her arm. Then there's the guy with a chainsaw on his lower leg and another with random cartoon characters all over his back, or my nephew's wife with "The Devil in Disguise" inked across her upper chest. I seriously doubt that any of these, along with the ubiquitous skulls, flowers, spiderwebs, angel wings, butterflies, daggers, etc., have any deep personal meaning to those displaying them. Even more puzzling to me are those that don't choose individual images, but instead, have their arms and legs completely covered with swirls of color, like some vision from a bad acid trip. This seems pretty much the same as buying some wild-looking clothes when you're in college, then wearing them every day...for the rest of your life!

As you've probably guessed, I have no tattoos. Never quite saw the wisdom of paying someone to draw pictures on my skin, or in following the herd toward the latest fashion craze.

And I completely understand the desire to memorialize a loved one, or mark some life-changing event. But why do it with a tattoo, when not that long ago, maybe just placing a photo or a plaque on the wall would've sufficed?

If they were somewhat easy to take off....I might get one.

The issue lies in judging others based on our own values and choices. Trust me, somewhere someone is saying, "I can't believe they didn't memorialize their loved one with a tattoo, or at least a vinyl graphic on their SUV's back window." :)

I guess I'm one of the outliers here being that I have a # of tats on me.

But at least now I can think of myself as lesser of a person, based on some of the comments I've read.... :rolleyes:

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I never thought I would get one. Whenever it comes up, this story comes to mind.

Back in 1995 when first started making any dough, living in an apartment in Texas, I was in Sacto visiting the folks, and was at my cousins place, getting some clothes that he had become too fat to wear anymore. We were sitting around on the porch of his current domicile, a nice, restored 75 year old duplex in mid-town, had a Murphy bed in living room. My friend of over 10 years, Jim Pantages, who I had not seen in about a year and a half, walked up. Asked how he was, where he was going, on his way home. Turns out he lived right next door to my cousin in the other half of the duplex, and he was very proud of this new tattoo he had. Treble clef surrounded by a whole note, he was a musician, that was pretty cool, nice color greenish blue in it. I said it was cool, but I would not get a tattoo, what is there that I would want to wear the rest of my life, right.

About a week later, after returning to Texas, I got a call from my mom, Jim had been shot and killed by a couple of criminals out robbing people. Jim had just finished a gig, and was killed while he and Spider were loading equipment. Was a big group of us that hung out together, and I got to talking about it with my brother. I said I had never had any interest in getting a tattoo, but I wanted to get that one that Jim got right before he was killed. They caught the perps when they used Jim's credit card where one of the guy's girlfriends worked, lucky they were stupid. Turns out, several people had the same idea, and at the end of summer in 1995, went to the same tattoo artist and about a dozen of us got that tat. Well, not exactly, I got a mirror image of it, as Jim had it less than a week and died, so I figured I did not want the same thing exactly. Over that labor day weekend, there were a few benefit concerts, and now there is a Jim Pantages Scholarship Fund at El Camino HS in Sacramento. That is how I ended up with a tattoo.

Since that time, I discovered that a couple who were robbed and shot at and missed the same night, they ran away after they tossed there valuables in the other direction, had a mutual friend, Doug Hannah, when they told me about it when we happened to meet. Neither of them knew Jim. I also happened to have a guy who worked at channel 13 with Jim for years come in as a patient. Talked to him for hours, lucky he was last one, coming in after work. Small world.

I was talking to a patient at the hospital a few years ago, she remembered that deal with Jim well enough that she remembered his name, last name anyway.

I doubt if I will get another tattoo

Hey Vinny, I hope that my mentioning my mom’s opinion did not translate into it being mine. I’ve thought about getting a certain meaningful tat and I’ve seen lots of good ones. I also have very close friends who are inked to the eyebrows, (literally), and there is zero correlation between how someone looks, dresses or how inked up they are and how good of a person they are. You are absolutely top notch in my book and I hope that I get to meet you someday. ++

Also, I consider it almost a bizarre coincidence that my group of close friends don’t have any tats in this day and age. It would be one thing if they were a bunch of non-adventurous types but it’s the opposite.

thank you.. she was a very special person. we were together 43 years.
We live outside of Pittsburgh now but we moved here from the Tampa Bay Area.
I miss Cuban food...

Well, I'm not worried about Vinnie deciding on a criminal career, so I guess his tats are okay. ;)

I learned a long time ago not to judge people by their appearance.

Especially if it's a tattoo (or tattoos).

That's just stupid.

I don't have any myself because I just didn't want any. (shrug)

Gonna be different for everyone.

Now I have put thought into it.....and IF I ever did.......I think it'd be cool to have a small totem pole - maybe back of one leg or arm (?) - and/or a bear claw on back of one shoulder.

I just turned 70 so still a lot of time left to get one (or two) if I wanted......:)

Sorry, Baz, but I learned a long time ago to judge people by their appearance. Not the inescapable hereditary stuff, but by the conscious choices they may have made to alter their appearance.

One would be a fool not to judge guys like these by their appearance. Neglecting to do so might turn out badly:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1719532345.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1719532345.jpg

Here I was expecting....

This guy was so deeply in love that just before he was married, he had his bride's name tattooed on his love muscle. Normally, only the first and last letters were visible, although when he was aroused, the tattoo spelled out W-E-N-D-Y.
Now they're on their honeymoon at a resort in Montego Bay. One night, in the men's room, this fellow finds himself standing next to a tall Jamaican at the urinal. To his amazement, he notices that this man, too, has the letters W-Y tattooed on his penis.
"Excuse me," he says, "but I couldn't help noticing your tattoo. Do you have a girlfriend named Wendy?"
"No way, mon, I work for the Tourist board. Mine reads,
"Welcome to Jamaica, mon, have a nice day.'"

Wonderful old joke, haven't heard it in years.

One of the supposed "tough guy" tats is the "barber pole" on the same "lower unit". Where on Earth one could ever find a tattoo artist willing to do that has always escaped me, by the way.

My co-workers and I always postulated that the "real" tattoo of the "tough guy" would not be the barber pole, but rather the "cargo net". In the same general area... same problems finding a willing artist apply...

I have toyed with getting one for decades but I just can't find anything that I'm that passionate about that would warrant a permanent statement. My GF just started wearing some fake ones that last about two weeks on her wrist and now she wants a permanent one but can't decide on what to get either.

David, I felt the same until I read your post. Now I’m rethinking it. I’m not sure what tattoo I would get, but thanks to you it might be a squirrel. ;)

Late 1990's I worked in a large scientific campus place. So I'd free access to top scientists. One guy I said to him can tattoo inks be made which will fade out/disappear in a few years. He laughed ad said no. He had already thought about that and he said different peoples skin absorb light differently and on some people it's not going to fade out. Or a blonde beach girl is suing you because at the end of her Mediterranean summer it was starting to go.

Short answer, I dont seek attention. Not that long ago tats were not the norm and people tended to stare at tats. I prefer to be invisible.

Oh, hell yes. If we ever have a PPOT meetup I would show up with a “NO REGERTS” tattoo on my left arm and a Fender guitar with “Jimmi Hendirx” on my right.

I would but I really don't want to start smoking cigarettes.

Thanks Dennis appreciate that. Hope to meet you one day also. Definitely no offense taken at all by your post. I know how to interpret what people write! As far as mom's opinion, trust me you didn't want to see my mom's reaction when I got my first one. Was not good! :D She grabbed her rosary beads and ran in her room crying, didn't talk to me for about a week and half!

Big Vinny Giralomo! his quote "When in doubt knock em out!"

Had the pleasure of meeting him back before he passed away. Scariest MFer I ever met. (and one of the biggest...) I was only a kid then. So was kinda terrifying

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I don't have one because my Mom told me not to when I was 18.