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i very recently joined. i noticed that everyone had relatively recent joined dates as well as "low" post count compared to other online forums, and couldnt figure out why. everything just seemed so awesome about LST. i am finding out just now how "young" LST is, and it explains everything. i have to say a BIG congratulations is in order. in light of this revelation LST seems like an even more interesting corner of the interwebs. i look forward to being part of the LST community and seeing how it grows.

It's courious to me that anyone would be suprised by spiritual and religious tattoos being part of the tattoo world. It is, it's place of origin. Tattooing did not start ouit as a political tool,nor a purely decorative one. It is in it's essence a way of altering the body to represent the inner life's changes. or as in "Right of Passage Rituals" Passage from one age to the next from childhood to adulthood, from death of a loved one,to moving on passed the mourning stage. It has to do with totemic practices where there is a beilieved passage of the spirits of a Slain enemy or a loved ones energy to the bearer. Get a tattoo like UNcle Bill's? well that is totemism in a modern form without the concious idea that you are calling forth Uncle Bill's energy his "power"in you when you wear this mark. All great religious forms have had rituals inwhich there is blood letting for instance the Roman Catholic Confirmation has a small slap on the face by the Bishop to confirm you into adulthood and commitment to the church-- IN the old practice this would have been a cut to your face producing blood. "killing of the old self to release the new born soul!" It is the death and resurection and so are all tattoos a kin to this idea. So on and so on Tattooing has always been the tool of the Shaman -- a tool in magical service to the "HEALING" process of the individual. Early Christians Like the "Coptics" when persecuted by the Romans; and I mean sent to the Lions for sport. They had to have a small crucifix tattooed on the inside of their left wrists --this meant they could enter the secret meetings in hidden places -- and could not be Romans. This practice still exists today. Most pilgrams to the holy lands of the world collect tattoos as proof they were there. In oour culture there are no clear cut rituals so tattooing reaches into the place of our deepest connection with the fears and desires of mankind to his spiritual self. Athiest or no this is a place where we all wonder the deppest thoughts of why we are here? what is purpose? what happens after death? What is love? Although you may not be aware of its origin --I'd say most all images relate to this process! Prhaps Not specifically but in the act of Doing or collecting a tattoo you are doing and collecting a spiritual amulet a way of saying you are protected you are Human and you are Mortal. Anyway that's my two cents! Shotsie

Today on twitter Morgwn Pennypacker ( @FTWSKILLS ) from Love Hate Tattoo Shop in Miami posted this cool thirty year old Ed Hardy backpiece a customer walked in with that made me miss and think of the awesomeness in this thread.

i can't stop watching this.

reminds me of that superbowl commercial... a competing shop opened offering $6 haircuts....of course they were horrible so the reputable salon posted this sign.

Yup, yup.... "Never seen so many rats looking to jump on a sinking ship", Richard has always said... In 35 years of Tattooing Richard only had 2 apprentices, population control is out of hand, and I wish that babies weren't still making babies, but there is an upside. You guys will get to do lots of sweet cover ups...(if they suck) ...probably... cause oh so many people do nowadays. More people will be inclined to price shop, so that'll get a foot or two in the door. (hopefully new faces) And you will have a new outlet for aggression: You get to fuck with the new guys down the street... Prank Calls, Faux Pizza Delivery, Stink Bombs, and then don't forget to call the HELLTH department, or whatnot, cause those guys rock...

Sorry for the heavy posting in this thread lately. I'll give it a rest after this. Finally finished. Only had an iPhone as a camera, so excuse the mediocre quality. (for some reason I'm unable to upload pictures to my gallery at the moment...)

This definitely sucks for you and your husband. However, this is the reality of the tattoo business, today. What can we do? You guys just need to keep doing solid work and your reputation will hopefully carry you through. Good luck and keep your head up. Ultimately, it doesn't change what you and your husband have to do.

My first tattoo wasn't what I hid from my mom. Actually I asked her if I could get one (I was just 18 at the time), she said no way. A week or so later I asked her if I could get my labret pierced, she said hell no, I said ok, what if I got a small tattoo that is hidden by my short sleeve, she begrudgingly said "well, I guess", she didn't know my friends were waiting in the car in the driveway, I said thanks, and ran out to hop in the car and we went and got my tattoo (tribal arm band!!). She demanded to see it when I got home, so I showed her, she just rolled her eyes. My old man (who was tattooless, but was in the navy for 25 years at this point), said that I better not go below the sleeve until I was independently wealthy (this was '98). I started my first sleeve in '01, I lived with a roommate in an apartment, it was around late July, so I just waited to come over to their place until night and wore longsleeves. It was still so hot, and I was sweating, but I'd just stay outside and then say I have to run, and take off haha. For some reason, I decided to show it to my mom when I took her to dinner for her bday (maybe the worst day to do it in hindsight). I had my sleeve pulled up a little, hoping she'd see it (she didn't), so I just bit the bullet and showed her. She just said "Oh Daniel, what am I going to do with you". I never talked to my old man about it. For years, she would be like, are you done yet? everytime I got tattooed again, I moved to CA in 2004, so when we would go visit her in Indiana, she would make me show off my new tattoos to everyone and called me her "tattooed wonder", although I have a little brother who has a dreamcatcher, wolfhead, and kanji tattoos, and little sister that has lower back dolphin jumping tattoo. It always made me laugh. In 2007, my daughter was born, Eli Quinters was in town, so I was going to get a tattoo from him at Tattoo 13. My mom was in town to visit her granddaughter, and decided she wanted to get tattooed ha. I called Eli, he had space, so I got tattooed, then she got a yellow rose with an american flag draped around it. It was so wild to me, her first tattoo, which was for her dad (died in 06 in a motorcycle accident). Last year, I wake up to a picture message of a tattoo that was on my Grandmother (mom's mom). I had previously been weary about showing her my tattoos, and when she finally saw them, she said "well at least when you die, we'll know it was you" haha. Her tattoo was her first and also for her husband (my grandfather). Wild. Sorry for the lengthy story haha.

so the reason i started this thread is because i wanted to know how other peoples families reacted to their first tattoos and everyone who contributed to the thread did not disappoint! i was hoping that peoples stories might give me inspiration to get over my fear and just do it and that maybe one day i would be able to add another entry with my own story. well at a young age my dad put the "FEAR" into me and my brother which made him a very scary man to us,(thats why i said i was afraid that he might kick me out of the house, its so easy to imagine the worst possible scenario). we were sitting on the couch this evening watching the news about the Japan earthquake and i just decided to come out and say it. I gave him this long explanation in one breath and when i was done i had to try not to look away because thats when i usually get the "look". what i mean by the "look"- if you dont know already- is what we would see when we got in trouble as kids and it would scare the crap out of us. well the "look" did not come and neither did many words! actually no words at all, just a sound, something along the lines of hmuhff !?1? then he turned his attention back to the TV and i left the room and had to remember to breath again! i wonder if i shocked him or if my plan of leaving tattoo magazines strategicly placed all over the house(to desensitize him) worked? anyway whatever the reason im glad i got it over with!

This is from Jeff Rassier's blog. I rarely use the word brilliant, but I think that it is appropriate here.

Now this guy seems like a real keeper, bet he has to fight the ladies off.