WhyMista

The inside of my fingers didn't hurt much save for the part near the knuckle. Same with the back of my hand it wasn't that bad cept for near the knuckles.

Eh I had already been accepted into the NROTC and UT when I enlisted so I joined literally because it was right after I'd turned 17 which was two months after we invaded Iraq and I figured war might be fun, which it was. The GI Bill is nice but I didn't need it to go to college like I am now.

I agree. I know coming from the infantry there is more pride than anywhere else. But that makes sense especially since we have been at war for over a decade and the majority of infantry bn and other combat arms have seen at least some combat and thus you will take more pride in your time in. However save for those in the Army who I know have seen combat the vast majority of soldiers I see don't seem to have much pride in their branch let alone know anything about the history of their unit or major figures in the Army's history. You can find the most remf Marine and they'll know every single remotely famous Marine and I've seen supply guys and admin clerks with motto tats. You'll be hard pressed to find any grunt who doesn't have some tattoos directly related to the Corps, his unit and/or his deployment. I know almost all of my boys have both. There is the benefit of us being so much smaller that frankly the PC bullshit that has made the rest of the military pussified doesn't affect us as much. When I got out in 07 we could still haze the shit out of people and hell just a few years back we had Marines pissing on dead taliban and a STA plt in front of a flag that looked like SS lightning bolts...(Even though the SS stands for Scout Sniper....) and we because we're Marines can get away with that type of shit because at the end of the day everyone loves us.

True but I think its because we as Marines are taught to take pride in ourselves and our history. The average soldier, or airman and probably sailor as well doesn't know much of their branches history compared to Marines.

I have many that I have that are all related to my time in the Corps. Most are in my profile. I'll have to see if I can find them again. My favorites by far are the ones on my hands with our unit call sign and then our companies motto

I do usually about 30 minutes after I get it and for possibly the next day or so sort of wish I had gotten something different or placed it somewhere else but then once the itching starts it goes away. Not sure why. I've never regretted any tattoo I've gotten though after that short period of time.

Right above the knuckle near my pinky finger on both hands when I was getting the back of my hands done. My wrist and fingers didn't hurt very much, side of my fingers near the knuckle did a bit. Side of the palms wasn't that bad

I will leave the wrap on till I get home, then wash it lightly with some soap, pat dry with a paper towel, then put some A&D or Auquaphore(usually aquaphore) for the first day or two or till it peels then I switch to lubriderm and just keep it moisturized so that it doesn't end up looking dry. This time with the back of my hands I used coconut oil after the first day or two and its been just fine as well.

I have many tattoos on my hands. Two words on the knuckles of each hand which are about two years old and look just as good as they did when I got them, the sides of my I guess palms with a phrase on each and are around the same age as the knuckles and have yet to be touched up and only have minor fading which a simple touch up could fix and then along the outside of each pointer finger which is about a year old which has faded a bit but nothing a touch up could not fix. However unlike most people I ride a motorcycle so I rode to the shop with riding gloves not cruiser style but motoGP style gloves and as its my only mode of transportation throughout the entire healing process I was putting on and taking off these gloves man times a day and also sweating as they were done during the middle of the texas summers. I do take good care of them and simply by the nature of wanting to keep my hands from being all dry and cracked i keep them moisturized constantly. If you want them get them, as long as they are done by someone who knows what they are doing and you care for them properly you should be fine. Yes you'll probably need to get them touched up but don't you also have to go get say an engagement ring etc checked once a year and possibly cleaned to ensure it looks its best for eternity?!

Welcome and it looks good so far. I'm looking forward to getting a piece on my chest as well sometime later this year.

I'm a PC gamer right now and I've started on fallout 3, downloading dishonored, love fifa 14 and just started playing far cry 2

Oh I am reading A Good and Useful Hurt Its about a tattooist and is supposed to be a bit "off" still early into it though.

I rarely read anything fiction but when I do recently its been Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I primarily read academic books. Currently reading Mask of Sanity and the Psychopath test. I'm a psych major and find it far more interesting to do research than to read most fiction. I am mainly focused on psychopathy, sociopathy, schizophrenia and borderline PD. I read most fiction on my nexus 7 but for academic stuff I want a hard copy although I do have the dsm-IV-TR and dsm-5 on my nexus 7 as well for reference.

Well like I said I would not ask that question. I have friends I've known since HS who have tattoos and I've never asked how much they paid for them. Not because I think it would offend them but because it never crosses my mind to ask. If someone finds something rude or offensive and then does not inform the other party that it was bothersome then they have no one to blame but themselves. The fact is to people who do not have tattoos or understand why we get them its merely another thing people do with their disposable income. They see getting a tattoo in the same vein as getting a new tv, car, cell phone, xbox whatever. Expecting people who have no real knowledge or desire regarding tattoos to know the unwritten rule about not asking how much something cost is just silly. Every subset of people or niche group have rules or etiquette and unless you are part of said group or are interested why on earth would you know the do's and don'ts? It all comes down to intent, if someone is simply ignorant about something I am not going to get offended over it or get upset with them, just as when I travel to Europe or other countries I would hope that if I make an honest and innocent cultural mistake I wouldn't get crucified. I just think its a bit silly to expect people to know this could be offensive when people with far more tattoos than I have didn't know it was taboo.

I am. I took almost ten years between my first and now my 11th.

Welcome. I'm new here as well just west of Dallas. Slowly working on getting more work done.

I get your point and others, I merely want to represent those who don't feel the same as you. Not everyone is bothered in the least by these questions. If I agreed with you or the others would we be having this conversation? I doubt because while I do not agree that ALL Americans feel this way I do acknowledge that some and hell maybe most do feel this way. I however think that those who are not bothered are underrepresented. Like I said I don't think most have any ill will and thus I don't mind stupid questions. If someone asks me did I kill someone in Iraq I could get mad but for what, they asked innocently. Same as with tattoos. Unless you have malice in your heart I don't get upset.

What part of you and others here who find it bothersome are not the only people on the planet do you not get. You do realize there are others besides the small group who agree with you in the world right.

Because I personally don't take issue with it. I don't find it rude when its done out of innocence. I don't find it rude for someone to ask questions that in my mind and to those who are in the know are rude because they simply don't know. I judge a question based off of the persons experience. Why do I argue it because I can and because while yourself and many others here may hold this view I know many people who do not hold this view and thus I am representing that

As I said earlier I won't ask someone that question because I do see why it can be construed as rude or inappropriate. However I don't find it offensive because if its someone who doesn't have tattoos or know anything about them they are most likely asking an innocent albeit naive and possibly offensive question. I liken it to how people ask me if I killed anyone in Iraq. Its a dumb question but its not asked out of malice or disregard for my feelings, its borne out of ignorance and ignorance is nothing more than a lack of knowledge.

That simply is not the case. I know more than one person with custom work who has no problem saying how long it took or how much it cost. Asking how much something someone values in the US is very common. How on earth do you know what makes people uncomfortable? You don't.

And I'm lost again lol. Ariel you lost me. Poofs and yobbos I'm sure I get what you're saying. I actually still have some turns of phrases that I picked up from my UK friends. Apparently no one says lass or can't be bothered. If I win the lottery I'll just travel and get tattoos in every country I go to. Although I hate planes lol