Kids/ Tattoos - What Age is Acceptable

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I have a birth mark on my neck and on my left arm. To this day, grown men and women I don't even know get this really concerned look on their face, come right up to me and ask "What's wrong with your neck?" or "What happened to you?" It's happened so much in the past that I just take it in stride, but it strikes me as kinda rude.

Funny you should say that - I have a condition known as ptosis which means my left eyelid droops slightly. It wasn't handled particularly well by my Mother when I was younger, to the extent I saw it as a deformity and my throat closed up every time eyes, eyelids etc were mentioned. The first boy I dated told me I had beautiful eyes and I ran off in tears and was completely unable to explain myself.

It took til I was in my 30's to accept it and accept I'm normal. I can now answer intrusive questions, "Oh! What's wrong with your eye?!" quite calmly. "It's called ptosis, I was born with it" and sometimes, if I'm feeling vicious, "I prefer not to talk about it, thanks"

Anyway - the turning point for me was when I was considering surgery, believing it would change my life because I would finally be normal. The boyfriend of a beautiful friend of mine sat up all night with me talking, gently explaining to me that my slightly flawed face made me more interesting to interesting people. He also said that it had formed my character and I should therefore wear it as a badge of honour (and lots more compliments like that). It broke the dam - we went for a long walk as the sun came up and I cried my eyes out sitting on the park swings.

I wouldn't change it now.

And Shawnee123 - you're welcome

[Pangloss62]

To be honest, I have to say that a woman that has a slight imperfection of one of her eyes is really, really sexy. Have you ever seen Karen Black? Her eyes are just a slight bit "off." Damn that's alluring. You made the right decision, Sundae.

[Sundae]

I don't think I've come across her before. Oh - just looked her up and we have the same birthday!

The bottom line is you need to learn to love yourself. Bleurgh, but it's a cliche because it's true.

I rarely post full face pictures of myself though. I haven't learned to love my extra chin yet

[Shawnee123]

"There is no exquisite beauty," says Bacon, Lord Verulam, speaking truly of all the forms and genera of beauty, "without some strangeness in the proportion."

Edgar Allen Poe, Ligeia

It's true, too...who wants to be the cookie-cutter beauty?

You rock, Sundae Girl!

[Mac-Trucka]

I was wonderin' about the ages cuz I really want my eyebrow peirced and the tattoo I want to get for the Memory of my dad.

Holla At'cha Bwoi!!

[Mac-Trucka]

Whts the age for getting tattoos? And piercings?

Holla At'cha Bwoi!!!

[Clodfobble]

"Kids" and tattoos, indeed...

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Funny you should say that - I have a condition known as ptosis which means my left eyelid droops slightly. --snip--

Like Forrest Whitaker?

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I wouldn't change it now.

And Shawnee123 - you're welcome

Good for you!

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by BigV

Like Forrest Whitaker?

Yes. At least in appearance, I don't know if it is exactly the same condition. Also like Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

[Hoof Hearted]

I have a pinky finger with no nail. Missing when I was born, Dr says the finger was probably caught in a placental mass and didn't develop properly. However, being interested in horses, breeding and genetics...it was enough to keep me from having children.
I didn't understand that it wasn't a genetic thing when I was younger, and I had already made the have-no-children decision and I couldn't get past my younger mind-set when I matured.

I want to get a tattoo for my b-day this year. I have the design picked out, it is small, but I am at odds as to where to place it. I'd like to put it at the back of my neck under my hairline...
...but I am such a wuss...
My mother is very negative about tattoos...and I don't know if I'm getting the tattoo to piss her off (place it in a very visual area) or getting it for me (place it in a personal area) or even if I'd be placing it in a personal area to prevent her from seeing it.
Why, oh why, at this age...is my mother still controlling my life?
Maybe THAT is why I'm getting this tattoo. I decided. Not her.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Hoof Hearted

I want to get a tattoo for my b-day this year. I have the design picked out, it is small, but I am at odds as to where to place it. I'd like to put it at the back of my neck under my hairline..

Sorry to hear about your fingernail - I really hope it didn't cause you too many self-esteem issues growing up.

And pleased to hear you have decided to come out from under your Mum's judgement. From your photos and posts you're beautiful and individual - you know what you choose will be right for you. Go for it.

***

An update on my original post. Over the last few months I have become much closer to the 15 year old co-worker I described. I still feel she (and her mother) were unwise re the tattoo issue, but I have come to see her as a person and not an age now.

Her father left them last year for another relationship, and times were hard at home due to a clever accountant "proving" this successful businessman could only pay £100 a month for child support for 4 children. She argued quite significantly with her father at Christmas last year and we had quite a few conversation where I gently tried to persuade her that even if she does hate her father now, he's still her father and always will be, and things will hopefully change as she matures.

He died unexpectedly 2 weeks ago following a routine operation.

She was back at work last Saturday, hurt, brave, aware, guilty and generally all-round making me want to cry for her. Which I would never do in front of someone coming to terms with the pain in her own life.

Sod getting tattoos underage. I'm glad I admired it when she showed me, so that she feels she has an adult outside her family she can talk to now.

Life, eh?

[Hoof Hearted]

Great googley moogley. That poor girl was given a hard row to hoe. I am glad she feels she has an adult that is willing to accept her for who she is, on her terms, and not stuffed into a "proper box" of how a teenager should be. It is a hard age.

My finger doesn't bother me much and I didn't have much trouble with it growing up. When I was made aware of how 'differet' it was, it was easy to keep my fingers curled under and hidden. I didn't have to reveal it unless I wanted to. It really isn't that noticeable at a quick glance and I don't wear nailpolish so it doesn't stand out.

My beautiful (reminds me of Mariah Carey) best friend lost her right eye to cancer when she was 14. They had to remove part of the orbital socket and her eyelid so she must wear a prosthetic patch that goes into the eye socket and covers the eyelid area from eyebrow to cheekbone. She is a hoot to drive with...no depth perception and my right leg gets a phantom brake workout when I ride shotgun with her.

My fave story of hers...
She was 8.5 months pregnant and we entered a jewelry store to have our rings cleaned and checked and the handsome clerk asked about her eye...Kim told him she got in a fight with her boyfriend and he stabbed her in the face. He looked shocked and horrified as he looked between her missing eye and swollen belly and asked "What is going to happen now?" and Kim told him with a big smile and a cheerful voice that they had made up and were getting married!
Oh, we laughed so hard when we left the store....
*sigh* I miss her. I need to give her a call, or fly back to CA for a visit. She rejuvenates me, she is so full of life.
hh