I can’t believe what I heard on the radio this week.  The radio personalities were talking about some statistic that stated soon there will be more people with tattoos than without.  While I can’t disagree with the statistic—it seems like everyone is getting one these days—I do have to groan at the crazy reasoning they gave as to why this was so.

“You have get tattoos,” one of the personalities said.  “It’s how you make yourself distinct from everyone else.”

Really?  If everyone is marking their skin up, how does this make you distinct?  If you ask me, you’re more like a sheep blindly following other sheep that are just as lost.

Let me give you a little advice here and if you’re wise you’ll take it to heart.  Don’t ever do anything just because someone else says you should, or to be part of some imaginary “in” crowd.  And tattoos, those are big, permanent commitments.  They won’t wash off when you don’t like your boyfriend, and his name is inked across your chest in blaring black.

If you don’t believe me, or think I’m just too uncool to get it, go find an elderly person who has tattoos—if they’ll show them to you.  I’m not talking someone in their 40-50’s, try 70-80’s.  It’s not pretty.  The beautiful, tight skin of youth has sagged and stretched southward, making that mark of prideful distinction into something mutilated and hidden in shame.  And trust me, we all get old.  One day that will be you, permanently…permanently…permanently YOU.