Note: This article will be particularly helpful for adolescents who are particularly zealous about piercings, or parents of such. Even if you do not fall into one of these categories, read on!
At A Glance Author EricA Contact [email protected] Artist a variety of people Studio Euphoric Piercings @ Utopia or Ians Location Hicksville, NY or Greenwich Village, NYC The other day, my mom commented on how proud she was of me for losing so much weight. I looked down at my now nearly flat stomach and said, "Yeah, I'm almost thin enough for a navel ring!" My mom gave me a disapproving look. "What? I can't get a little bellybutton ring?" I asked. "I guess that it's your choice...but..." "But what?" My mom drew a deep breath. "It's just that...will it ever end? I mean, will there ever be a day that you decide that you've gotten all the piercings you want? Do you want to end up as one of those people with fifty or sixty piercings?"
Let me explain. I am fifteen years old right now, going on sixteen. I have two adjacent eyebrow rings, both of my nipples pierced, both ears, a 10 gauge tongue ring, not to mention a tattoo on my ankle. I got my first piercing, one eyebrow ring, when I was thirteen. By the way, my mom TOOK me to the studio (Euphoric Piercings @ Utopia in Hicksville, NY)and watched me get it done. Over the summer when I was 14, I went to Greenwich Village in NYC and got my tongue pierced at 14 gauge. I also bought my mom a pound of her favorite candy to cushion the blow before I showed her my new mod. Well she cried--alot. She still wants me to take it out, but as long as I don't play with it, she lets it slide. I got my second eyebrow ring on my 15th birthday, which I obtained permission for rather easily. See, my mom lets me look how I please, she just doesn't want me piercing any organs or muscle tissue. But dead skin is fine. However, I neglected to mention that a few days before my birthday, I got my nips done, simply out of sheer boredom and a craving for a new hole. You're probably thinking that adolescent girls shouldn't get their nipples pierced because they're not developed yet, but at 14 years old I was already a 36D so I don't think I had much more growing room. My mom discovered them about half a year later when I was wearing a wifebeater (read:undershirt). She got mad, but now she just pretends that I don't have them. I got my tatt over the summer which she discovered soonafter when I emerged from the shower wearing nothing but a towel and one sock. After all my other mods she sort of expected it. I asked her why the tattoo bothered her so. She said "I like your tattoo, I think it is very pretty, but I just don't want tattooing to become your new addiction! If I let you get one, you'll end up getting eight or nine!" Well, in two months I plan to get my industrial pierced on my birthday, and I have my mom's consent. And I plan on getting more after that :)
But back to what my mom said..."Will there ever be an end??"...
Well, that's a tough question. I can see where she's coming from. She just doesn't want me to get piercings for the mere sake of getting pierced. I've heard many people say "I JUST want my navel pierced" or "I JUST want this one tattoo that I've liked since seventh grade" and then their modification urge will be satiated. They'll have the object of their desire, and then, why gild the lily? Why get pierced JUST BECAUSE??
I'll tell you MY reasoning. My body is the only physical entity that is truly my own. Permanently, omnipresently, always and forever, totally and completely, MINE. However, I received no choice in what body I received. I didn't get to choose if I was tall or short, white or black, blond or brunette, fat, thin, or in between. Such tragic irony! The only entity that I truly own is the one that gives me the least amount of choice!
So what to do?
Well, some people compensate for not having their ideal body by swathing themselves in flattering clothes and painting their faces with layers of makeup. They hope that these accoutrements will somehow diminish their insecurites, by hiding their bodies behind them. I, on the other hand, opt to express myself from the inside out. I wear things that I love, no matter how unflattering or unstylish they may be. Bug goggles, chain leashes, and lots of huge jeans and shiny button-down shirts are all staples of my collection. However, I lusted for something more permanent, more esoteric, something that was a part of my body rather than a concealant. The obvious answer?
PIERCING.
Piercing expresses my individuality not only to others, but more importantly, to myself. For me, piercing is more than just liking the aesthetic value of a little bellybutton ring, getting it, and feeling pleased. It is a whole different experience entirely. Piercing is my way of feeling happy with myself and with my body. Like an astronaut impaling the moon with an American flag, body jewelry marks my corpus as my own. Through piercing, I actually have a say in how I want my face and body to look! I can defy the laws of nature and heredity to have the figure I've always wanted! It makes me feel like an individual. It is a whole spiritual and growth process. Getting an eyebrow ring, getting another, going from 16 to 18 gauge, trading in the hematite beads for turquoise and foam green, I am able to not only transcend from the mundane image I am bestowed with, but also continue to customize the modifications. For example, I have always been extremely insecure about my overly-developed breasts. But after piercing them, I see them in a whole new light. I love the look now, despite their annoying size. The supreme force (or in crude terms, "god") gave me a feature that I despise, but the innovation of piercing has allowed me to appreciate god's handiwork, and for that I am ever grateful.
Since I am a forever growing and changing individual, I see piercing as a journey, rather than a destination. Just as I perpetually change on the inside, my outside is constantly being modified. I can't just get one or two piercings and feel satisfied.I crave the growth and renewal that is achieved through a constant process. And, I never get piercings with the attitude "well I can always just take 'em out." Although I sport quite a few for someone my age, I take them very seriously. If something is about to become a part of my body, it had better be something that I will love forever.
Also, I feel I should mention that piercings have prompted me to treat my body with respect. Because they allow me to have the custom body that I want, I value and appreciate it as such. I meditate on a regular basis, as well as doing basic yoga. I stay away from any food whose ingredient label bears resemblence to an inventory list for a science lab. I excercise, and avidly treat my body with alternative medicine, including acupuncture, acupressure, spinal alignment, and herbal supplements--I never even take tylenol. I don't smoke, drink, sniff, shoot, or trip. So in an indirect way, piercing has actually improved my physical well-being. A pure and healthy body, for me, has been a gateway to mental, emotional, and spiritual peace.
So when my mom asks me if it will ever end, I just smile and say "Just a couple more, I promise!" She'll learn to love it, hopefully.
Oh and by the way...I DO plan to be buried in a jewish cemetary :)
Feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or complaints.