Never understood why people get tattoos and never will. I can't imagine being so confident about my love of a piece of art that I'd want to have it permanently inked on my skin for the rest of my life. All I could think about is "am I going to regret this in 10 years time?" -- and knowing me, I probably would 

If I had put a hummingbird tatoo on my belly ten years ago, it would probably be looking like a pelican by now...

craigb
If I had put a hummingbird tatoo on my belly ten years ago, it would probably be looking like a pelican by now...

Exactly my point in Post#8.

craigb

Linear PhaseI have this exact design on my thing.  Unfortunately I would be banned if I took a picture to prove it!!
You are just going to have to trust me

*Pfft!* 
I do too but mines animated!

Why didn't you guys get it done somewhere large enough to actually see it?

sharke
Never understood why people get tattoos and never will. I can't imagine being so confident about my love of a piece of art that I'd want to have it permanently inked on my skin for the rest of my life. All I could think about is "am I going to regret this in 10 years time?" -- and knowing me, I probably would 

I don't know. It's not just about the piece of art, but what it means to you, a specific moment in time. Rites. But then again, one shouldn't read too much into it either. 
 
Obviously, if a kid has his favorite singer tattooed on his forehead when he's 15, he'll probably regret it sooner than later. Or if a tattoo is badly executed.
 
There's also the perception of "permanently" and "the rest of my life", and which can also contribute to one's aptitude to regret.
 
 
Me, I don't regret much ever and "the rest of my life" seems but a blink.  I dare not use the word permanently in the same sentence. If I ever had time for regrets, there would probably be more important things to worry about than my tattoos. 
 
You know, I've waited quite a while before I got my first tattoo. And I think that me getting my first one coincides and/or marks the fact that I've started putting things into a different perpective and stopped thinking in terms of "permanent" and being so serious about everything. Learning to let go a bit and trusting my own judgement.
 
If I ever start worrying about my tattoos, I guess it'd be a sign that I have nothing serious to worry about. And since we're planning on having a kid, I'm sure I'll have plenty to worry about before I can ever sit and think about my tattoos. :P
 
They're just part of me, I don't think of them that much, but I still dig them when I see them. I've always loved bats and crows, so they were a safe bet I guess. 
 
Obviously, that's my take on it. Understanding why people get tattoos doesn't mean you'd actually want one for yourself. 

The ones I'll never understand are the girls with gorgeous skin who then cover most of it with graffiti.  Oh well.  Then there's this guy...
 

Me, I love that my wife has tattoos. It works for her, it fits. For some other girls it might not.
Obviously, I've seen girls with (imho) questionable and even ugly tattoos. And the trendy stuff like tribals inevitably looks silly a few years later. Or sometimes it's the spot where the tattoo is. Ever heard of "the tramp stamp"?
 
In the face, that's quite a commitment. Not for me. But the guy who finished my wife's sleeve had his face tattooed - nothing has drastic as the above though. But in his particular case, I didn't think it was ugly or odd. He's probably the only one I've seen for whom it worked.
 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not incapable of admiring tattoos. I think some of them are stunning. I have a friend back home in England who hand-pokes tattoos with a needle, they're made entirely of dots. He's obsessed with ancient and sacred geometry and makes these incredible 3D mathematical patterns that are nothing but dots. Love his work, but I could just never bring myself to have myself marked. I guess everyone's different.