By James L. Lambert
July 21, 2006

(AgapePress) - Several weeks ago I was attending a regional volleyball tournament in Nevada. I approached the counter of a well-known pizza establishment. Much to my surprise I found myself being waited on by a young man who had dime-sized holes in his earlobes.

The first time I saw anything like this was in the pages of National Geographic magazine when I was a teenager, in a piece describing the cultural traits of a small aboriginal tribe in Africa.

Tattoos, nose rings, eyebrow rings, lip rings -- you name them, they're hard to miss in today's culture. And it's amazing to see them on such a variety of people. While it's commonplace in today's hip-hop generation to spot tattoos and many types of body piercing, I am now spotting this type of "body art" on older people as well.

Despite the popularity of this phenomenon, it's hard for me to understand why people would do this to their body. I understand the attraction of doing whatever is "popular" at the time. But I think it's common for people not to think through this decision before they follow through.

As a person who used to hire prospective employees for several Fortune 500 companies, I believe this type of body art will undermine one's ability to get a job in most professional fields, particularly those of the "white-collar" variety. Secondly, it would be hard to imagine sporting some of the tattoos (or piercing) I have seen when one approaches middle age or retirement. Some of these wild tattoos or other forms of body art would really be out of place on someone in their sixties. Not to mention the pain involved in having a tattoo -- a permanent form of "body expression" -- removed.

I understand that many of us change over time. I know a lot of choices I made before I became a Christian would not be acceptable for me today. And I am sure I will get some e-mails from some angry readers telling me they are offended by my suggestions. Yet, I feel compelled to ask: Why? Before you go down to the local tattoo parlor or visit a body piercing practitioner, ask yourself: "Can I really see this on me for the rest of my life? Or will this form of 'expression' later hurt me?"

As long as you use some common sense, I suspect you will make the right decision. And if have God in your life, ask Him -- that's always the best way to get direction.