Parting Shot: You can also be tough and get a tattoo if you wish

Tattoos seem to be very popular at the moment.
As was seen at the recent World Cup, one of the characteristics of being a good football player is to ensure every exposed part of your skin is ‘inked’.
The popular jibe at the time was how the players, who roll on the ground at the slightest provocation, managed to endure the pain of the tattoo needle? Well, that is one of the greatest mysteries of football, along with how could Argentina not beat little Iceland.
People with tattoos usually take great umbrage when they are ‘discriminated against’ when it comes to job interviews.
A guy with sixteen doctorates and sixteen tattoos, they say, will be overlooked for the scrawny guy with one degree and no tattoos. Some employees insist that workers cover up their tattoos so as to not put off customers. What if the tattoo is on their face or lip and what if the customer has hundreds of tattoos?
These things are never spoken about and we just accept it.
Of course, the only tattoo I would ever want would be the one that says ”I hate tattoos”.
That would give me a great kick when visiting the next bikers’ rally.
But it is not only bikers who have tattoos.
I have seen them on various folk – even school kids. The worst nightmare would, of course, be getting inked by the artist who is dyslexic or did not pay attention in English class in school. You could end up with ‘Borned free, living in chians’ – or one of those other phrases people love having on their bodies.
And what happens when you end up in Eventide? Your skin shrivels and the tat fades – so you could end up with ‘Be eve’ instead of ”I believe I can fly” on your right forearm.
Tattoos, we are told, originated in the South Pacific and were used to put fear in the hearts of enemies. Maybe soccer players should also use their tattoos for that purpose.
Imagine a ref covered in tattoos? That would give those dandy’s a thing or two to think about.