Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXVII

My thoughts on tattoos: It's not a problem with me if you have one, or some, or a bunch of them. I don't care. I don't have one, don't want one, and can't imagine a time when I'll ever have one. It's just not me. I have some friends who are covered with them, and to be honest, I rarely even notice them any more. I know they're all the rage now, especially with the younger generation. Tattoos are not new. Down through the ages they have come and gone as a fad; they'll be popular for a while and then they will cool off. They were in style back in the forties and fifties, during World War II and the Korean conflict. I've read about how some of the Nazis liked to use the skin of Jews to make lamp shades, and if the Jew had a tattoo, his skin would be much more valuable.

With all of that said, I have a question for you. When you look back at old photographs of your parents, do you laugh at the way they were dressed and the styles of their hair? Here's some food for thought: As ridiculous as they look, they were actually pretty cool back when those pictures were taken. That's because fads come...and then they go. And whether or not you want to believe it, the tattoo fad is no exception. They're here today, but they'll be gone tomorrow. In every generation there is a degree of rebellion, and if you think your kids will want to cling to everything that you now think is cool, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken. Some day, and I believe that day is rapidly approaching, tattoos will no longer be cool; and I believe when that day comes, they will be totally uncool.

Let me reiterate that if you want to get a tattoo, that's your business, and I will still love you just as much and not criticize you. You may have already thought through everything I've just said. I just wanted to remind you of the fact that, unlike the fashions of the day, tattoos have a degree of permanence, and they'll stick with you through thick and thin, whether you want them to or not.

Preston