Mystery of Life #3

I must confess I love women. I think they are God's greatest creation. I think the female body is perfect exactly the way God made it.

But somehow during the last couple of decades I've noticed a major shift among the fairer sex. Most prevelant among the younger generation, there is an obsession with adding things to their bodies like tattoos, piercings and implants. Let me take them one at a time.

Tattoos - There was a time when only dusty old sailors off on a drunken port visits would ever be caught with a tattoo. But now you see teenagers sporting them all over their bodies - lower back, neck, shoulder, ankle and anywhere else you can imagine. These aren't small delicate designs but elaborate kanji or mythical animals. The best answer I've ever gotten when I've asked why someone did it was that it was "cool".

I see tattoos and I just don't get it. Especially those that are placed in an area that is always visible. Maybe its age or upbringing, but tattoos remind me of graffiti. You rarely see any that is better looking than a clean wall.

Piercings - I remember when just getting an ear pierced once was a big ordeal. But not anymore. Multiple studs in each ear, belly button, tongue, upper lip, lower lip, nose - the more the merrier! There seems to be an "arms race" to see who can have the most!

Less is always best in my humble opinion. Is this just extreme insecurity or overcompensation for some perceived imperfection? I really would like to know.

Implants (plastic surgery) - Before I get the angry emails and comments, I have no problem with surgery to correct an abnormality. Even a +/- adjustment to correct posture or to make finding clothes that fit much easier. I'm talking about the "double D" jobs that 18 year olds are getting these days. Before they have even fully matured, they are going under the knife. That's just nuts.

For several years, I worked for a company that was a licensee of Playboy. One of the jobs I had was selecting Playmate photographs for our products. I was amazed at how many women had destroyed their bodies to try and make themselves look "perfect". In fact, I purposely looked and selected as many natural looking ones as I could find and get away with using.

I hope someday this trend reverses. I would love to just see women without all the add-ons.