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Getting a tattoo hurts! But I've heard that getting it removed hurts worse.
Sometimes we make decisions that we later regret because they hurt us or hurt someone else or both. Usually, we can fix the mistake. It’s not permanent. If we make the same mistake many times, we can develop a bad habit. For example, a kid might develop a habit of teasing others, eating poorly, wasting time, being lazy, lying, stealing, cheating, etc. Adults can develop those habits and more. Habits can be very difficult to change. It is best to develop good habits when you’re young. After you’re old, it is hard to change your ways. It can hurt.
-The Godmother
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About tattoos and soldiers: The ancient art of "Sak Yant" has been used for many purposes, one of which is as a defense mechanism, something like an artistic shield of armor. (Now foreigners are attracted to Sak Yant but for different reasons.) Cambodian soldiers got tattoos which were thought to protect them. They did whatever they could. It was very dangerous in Cambodia.
This village chief likely fought in the civil war. It was a complicated time when Cambodians killed Cambodians, Cambodians killed Vietnamese, Vietnamese killed Vietnamese, and the United States killed both. Among Cambodians alone, an estimated 275,000–310,000 were killed during the years 1970-1975. During the following four years under the brutal Khmer Rouge, Cambodia would a lose an additional 25% of its population. Call it what you will--nationalism, ideology, whatever--it takes a lot more than tattoos to protect humans from their worst instincts.
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Did you miss a previous Godmother's Advice email?
- #001: Khmer boxing & solving problems
- #002: Factory workers' commute & "making room"
- #003: Bright balloons & dangerous attractions
- #004: Bats and others' ways
- #005: Playing in the mud
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A technical note: Gmail sometimes puts emails in your Promotions folder. To stop that, drag and drop the email to your Inbox and tell Gmail to put subsequent emails from that sender (i.e., me) in your Inbox, not the bottomless pit that is your Promotions folder. Yahoo also sometimes dumps these in the Junk/Spam mail. I think if you open the email and click "Not Spam", Yahoo will remember. Those turkeys!
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Background about this email: Several years ago, I was feeling like an inadequate Godmother due to my absence in the US and, consequently, my absence in my Godson's lives. I decided to send what little advice I have as someone who has been in the world for 30 years longer than they. Thus was born my Godmother's emails--a tidbit of advice each week. I decided to share these emails with friends and others because I feel that folks need some good, helpful or happy things in their Inbox these days. I hope these are; otherwise, unsubscribe below.
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