Hello, my associates here at eBay,

 I have written some guides and for years I don't understand the "REAL" necessity for these items that are now given the eloquent and forgiving name of : "Body Art"!

 I have only stopped a young man once and commented on the "nice" sleeve that he had put on his left arm, and he informed me that it was mostly a "tribal" thing, and he had recently gotten it.

 But, I thought to myself, what about when he is 30 + years old and the biceps and triceps along with the forearm wither, and sag with the obvious age that will indeed come upon him as it has all of us...ME? I only did or tried to do a quickee when my friend and I decided at the ripe ages of 11 years old, put a couple on our right arms near to the wrist.??

 "MOM" it was supposed to read...but I am asked over and over again through the decades:"What is that, POP"??

 As it is my grandchildren, (my daughters before that), and now my great granddaughters ask the same thing, so I simply just answer a"Tatoo, I tried to put on when I was stupid and young".. "OH" is what I get in answer, usually confused, as they can't make it out as my buddy of my life at the time, (once  did his) he tried to do mine, on both arms he tried, but relented as he claimed he was feeling ill')...Oh! Great~! Now that I have two dots (mishapen at that on either arm, I had to live with it as I swore that I would never let a single "body art" be placed on my body~~~E~V~E~R!..I did NOT know that this "TOUGHIE would weaken on me, and never finish it, though I was in the US Navy for a term, and Honorably Discharged was asked :"What-the -hell-is-that"~!~! By every sailor, and barmaid I had talked to.

 I was an idiot as I knew I had an artists sense but, this "buddy" couldn't spell "MOM" let alone put the first letter, (something that looks as a blotch) the letter "M" escaped his intelligencia that fine summer afternoon.

 I could have put something small over it, to make it ollk or appear as though I was truly an intelligent persom with artistic flair.

 I refused, and never did I ever think as the sailors stumbled in to the barracks every night, some had new tatoos, but I am wondering what the guy with the "pus"-y discharge ever did to save his arm, to lose the cartoon character on his arm.??( Probably in the hospital cadaver buckets on the following week!) and he was a nice kid too, as I never said these guys were less than I was, but think folks: My grand-daughter was so pleased to show me what she had put on the Sacrum area of her behind...what the heck was that...was my first retortful question???

 She only had it for maybe a year, but was afraid for some reason to show me..."POP",... before that day up in Gatlinburg, Tn. where I retreat twice a year in my 5-star Time-Share.

 You see, my girl, ...she, ahhhh, gained about 60 pounds, and the sweet li'l butterfly that was drilled into her arm, (or vibrated as a sewing machine) appears to be a "stretched out Bat from Hell", as I have 20/15 eyesight when I don't have my bi-focs on, but this "butterfly" took on new dimensions, and was about 3 sizes in all directions bigger than it was last year...she gained the weight fast, and she kept showing me, and I felt like slappin' her butt off for her stupidity, as she was troubled anyway, and her dad, my son-in-law had no gumption to try to lead his family a little more conservatively.

 He should have waited until my "SARA" was old enough to be of the age of majority, which means.....NOTHING~!~!

   Kids thing that this age of 18 gives them the RIGHTS of an adult who has a broad perception of life and foresight of an eagle, but, c'mon folks when one reaches the age of 18 "the age of 'majority' only means that they "May" get a license to drive a car (in some states) it means that you can enter a contract w.o. an elder being with you or in your presence...NOTHING MORE FRIENDS.

 You may do what some youngsters do: like go to college, get some brains or intelligencia installed within those brains that they say they have, or join another religious viewpoint, not to shock parents, but, to try to improve your morals  (hahahahahahaahahahahahah), or a university to get a higher education.

 But, to walk into some unknown "Dude's" Hut and get a Body Piercing or a tatoo,  well that is something you should only do when "Charlie" is no longer your boyfriend, as you run down the boy-friend list, this can really look like a shopping list of foreign fruit!

 Well, I think you realize whereI stand on flaggelations, piercings, guillatines, and the like.

 Yeah, I have changed from an extreme liberal into a conservative independant person, who say, :"THINK FIRST"..then at another time, put it off and feed your kids, but something that you may change later, such as a nice ring, or whatever...but, by all means, look ahead a few years, or decades.

 I have, and many times I wished I got something "nice" to show my kids and grandkids and so on, but, I am glad that I took the route that I did, and just embarrassingly left it alone, and learned to say...:"Huh"? Oh, nothing, come outside and let's play!"

 Meanwhile, that li'l butterfly, is drooped, with wings looking like sad canvas, or old tarping hanging in the wind.

 And, she is only 22 as of now!

 I'll say more in about ten ( 10 ) more years.

 I have seen some nice drawings, which are temp, and I had a pretty Owl, my fave bird put on my calf one day when my brother visited me once and we went out and got a couple each, but in a week, it was al GONE! COMPLETELY.

 If you want to see what a butterfly will look like when it is fresh on fresh skin, this is the ONLY way!...I do hope that you do believe me, a sad grandfather of 62 years.

fourstrings-Rit, "The OleBassmon"

(eBay ID: "Tatonka-i-e")