By Rosie Moore

I don’t like either one of them. I have quite a few friends and relatives who have both, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like them, I just don’t like what they are doing to themselves. I can understand why men grow beards and mustaches, they just get tired of shaving or perhaps they think they look better, but why do people subject their bodies to a painful exercise of putting exotic artwork on their bodies? And a lot of it isn’t exotic but downright horrible. Do they do it for attention—to be different from other people?

I found out on Google that the word tattoo comes from the Tahitian “tato” which means “to mark something.” It is arguably claimed that tattooing has existed since 12,000 B.C. Later, it seemed that only criminals were tattooed.

These permanent designs-sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal- have served as amulets, status, symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious belief, adornments, and even forms of punishment.

Maybe so, I still think they are unsightly, unnecessary, and not nice, even though some of the people who are adorned with them are nice. Also, I learned that they can be removed, if, later on in life, you didn’t want the unsightly things on your body anymore. But I imagine that would hurt just as much as getting them on. Then again, someone told me it isn’t too painful to have a tattoo applied.

What a surprise when I turned the TV on recently for my favorite show, “Jeopardy” and there was Alex Trebek with a thick plumage of white hair and sharp little white mustache. I knew he had beard a few years ago but I had never seen it. He’s a very good-looking man, with or without. There’s a poll being taken for people to vote for or against his beard. I’m hoping it is voted against. He looks much younger without it. Then I have a twenty-year old grandson trying to grow a beard because it makes him look older. Well, it sure does! (I’m sure that neither one of these guys will read this column.)

Well, to each his own. I admire people who want to be different, if it doesn’t go too far. Tattoos are too far. Beards have been round since time began. So be it!

Thought for the day: My secret for staying young is good food, plenty of rest, and a makeup man with a spray gun.- Bob Hope

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