I'm glad to hear that artists are wary about tattooing names. I see nothing wrong with getting a tattoo or piercing as a part of a commitment (I had a piercing as my "wedding ring" for a prior marriage), but sadly a lot of relationships don't last and I don't think people always think it through sufficiently.
The worst story I heard was second hand, but I think it was actually true. My stepdaughter, knowing I like body art, told me her mom got sig-other's name tattooed on her leg. Since the same stepdaughter had told me recently that her mom didn't see this relationship as permanent, I asked her about that. She told me her mom had told her "When we break up I'll get it removed."
I've heard of several electricians who had a wedding band tattooed on their finger due to the risk of wearing a ring in their profession. I used to do a lot of similarly risky hands-on work around electronics, which was why I had a piercing. I'm sure there are artists who happily do that kind of work. However, in our society where so many relationships are transient and so many people have mixed or negative feelings about marriage, I certainly understand NOT wanting to do it.
Julie
