I don’t have any tattoos or facial piercings myself, but I’m envious of anyone ballsy enough to make a permanent decision like getting a tattoo.

Tattoos and piercings use your body as a medium to express yourself. I would definitely get my nose pierced if my mother wouldn’t disown me, and I’ve been considering getting a small tattoo of the Spartan logo once I graduate.

I think people should do what they want to with their bodies, as long as they’re willing to deal with the consequences. To the people who argue that a body is a temple and shouldn’t be changed, hell, all anyone did with their temples throughout history was decorate them. If the Taj Mahal or Notre Dame Cathedral weren’t so spectacularly elaborate, they wouldn’t be the Taj Mahal or Notre Dame. They would be boring.

Not all tattoos or piercings are going to aesthetically improve a body, though. Think twice before getting “Forever Young” tattooed on your hip, ladies, because if you plan on having kids it’s not going to say “Forever Young” anymore.

Keep it classy when it comes to piercings, too. Although this is all up to personal discretion, I think that most piercings generally are socially acceptable. If you’re having a hard time coming up with a part of your face that hasn’t been speared through, however, it might be time to take one or two out.

My only complaint is tattoos that don’t have meaning. Oh, you got a butterfly tramp stamp? Have fun getting it removed in five years. I’ve heard it’s painful.

If a tattoo has a story or a meaning behind it though, I’m all over it.

A girl from my high school has “Done la Vida,” which means “Donate Life” in Spanish, tattooed on her left side. Typical, pointless white girl tattoo equivalent to “YOLO” that she got one drunken spring break, right?

Wrong. My friend got the tattoo to commemorate her mother, who had a stroke when she was young and was paralyzed on her left side. After her mother passed away, she donated her organs to the hospital. The hospital sent my friend’s family a care package that included bracelets that said “Done la Vida.”

Her tattoo is beautiful and has an incredibly worthy story behind it. It belongs on her body as an external representation of her mother’s memory, and I can’t think of a better justification for a tattoo.

On the other hand, I have another friend who got “poop” tattooed inside her bottom lip. Although it is a bit ridiculous, you can only see it if she shows you. To her, it’s a funny and random way to express herself and keep life lighthearted.

Another friend of mine has 18 piercings all over her body. Most of them adorn her ears, but she also has that little flap under her tongue, her belly button, her nose and her nipples pierced. Bet you weren’t expecting that one, huh?

I fully support her nipple piercings, which she says are her favorite, because she believes they improved her body image tremendously. She loves her boobs now, and good for her.

The other 16 piercings, though, have proven to be somewhat of an obstacle for her, I suspect. She was denied a job at a local restaurant for being “too edgy.” I mean, yeah, she has a ton of piercings, but “edgy” is the last word I would use to describe her personality. Was she too edgy, or did she have too many holes in her ears?

From what I’ve noticed, the only occupations society says are acceptable for a person with sleeve tattoos or pierced faces are rockstars or tattoo artists themselves.

I think everyone realizes that there’s discrimination against people with tattoos and piercings when it comes to hiring. But decorating your body doesn’t mean you will do a worse job than the Average Joe over there.

Some employers have preconceived notions that tattooed or pierced applicants will be lazier or do a ton of drugs on the job or whatever.

And maybe they will. Or maybe they’ll be a dedicated, hardworking employee. It isn’t right to have company rules against visible tattoos or piercings if they’re small and aren’t distracting.

I understand not wanting to hire someone to work at a family restaurant with inked skulls and brazen breasts all over their body, but in a white-collar environment, physical appearances shouldn’t be a factor in hiring.

As younger, more open-minded people join the work force, I think and hope that tattoos and piercings will become more socially acceptable. Those who express themselves with their body should be seen in a positive light, not as pagan worshippers.

Emily Jenks is a State News reporter. Reach her at ejenks@statenews.com.