Scarification and self-branding

I am emotional right now.  I’m nursing a cold and feeling just miserable.  Bare with me.

What drives someone to burn themselves to mark their body permanently?  I am furious at my son for burning himself with a piece of metal.  He didn’t want me to know but mothers always find things out.

He was born dead and revived and I thank God for saving his life.  Not a scar on his perfect little baby body.  That is no longer.  He has covered himself in scars, burns, cuts and tattoos.  The tattoos are terrible and none of the scars make him look cool.  He looks like he went through a war, but he is doing it to himself.

In my opinion, he is not showing his body respect.  I have nothing against professional tattoos.  I have four myself.  His look like a blind man just started inking him up.  He said, “They were free, Mom.”

Free tattoo means someone is experimenting and doesn’t have the first clue to what they are doing.  It’s obvious when you see the sad artwork on his body that someday he will wish he never had done.  Free tattoo mean shitty tattoo.

And the scarification to his body….makes me want to cry.  I don’t like the path my son is taking in life and I don’t like his friends, even though I haven’t met them.

So what can I do?  I feel sick and I haven’t even seen how horribly wrong this brand to his leg has gone.  The ones on his arms are hideous and from what I’ve been told his leg is much worse and probably infected.

Again, why?

~P.