I've always been interested in body mods, especially piercings. Unfortunately, my school and my parents didn't share that same interest. Up until now I've had to admire these things from afar, because my parents would either kill me or my school would kick me out. Finally, I'm 18, graduated, and have my own job. Achieving my bodymod goals will be much easier, but with "consequences", for lack of a better word.
At A Glance Author Natasha Contact [email protected] When A month ago Artist Jason Stallard Studio Slingin' Ink Location Evarts, Kentucky So in November of 2003 I finally got my tongue pierced as an early birthday present from my parents after constant, non-stop, unrelenting begging. I don't think I've ever been so excited over something in my life. My parents didn't really like the idea of it, but they didn't say much about it, and that's all that mattered to me. My friends were really excited for me, and most people that noticed it seemed to like it. I heard a few negative comments from old-fashioned older folks, but I never let it get to me. I was SO excited about it, I couldn't stop talking about it for months.
Then, last month I decided to get my lip pierced, without my parent's approval I might add. I'd wanted to get my lip pierced for so long, even before I got my tongue pierced, but I knew I could never get my parent's permission because a lip ring is just in their face all the time while a tongue ring is easily hidden in my mouth. I went with my friend who got her tongue pierced while I got my lip pierced as graduation presents. I had my own money and my ID, so although my parents might object at first I knew they'd get used to it. I was worried about my job though at a fast food place aka Mcdonald's....but it looked so awesome after I got it done that I honestly didn't care. I finally got my piercing and there was no way I'd take it out for anyone or anything.
I was finally brave enough to visit the workplace a day later and ask them if I'd have to cover it up. Surprisingly they said it wasn't a problem and I don't have to cover it up. I was very excited about this, because not only would it be probably painful and slightly hard and very annoying to cover up (it's pierced with a horseshoe barbell on the left side of my lip) it'd totally suck to have a huge band-aid on my face everyday at work since it was too early to put a retainer in. Co-workers were very surprised as I am a shy, quiet person for the most part but they were pretty excited for me. Unfortunately not everyone was or is.
Working at a fast food place I should, and did, expect the public to say things. I tried to take extra good care of my piercing so it didn't look gross since I'm serving their food, and I think I did a pretty good job. But, people have their opinions. The first day I worked with my new lip piercing, every time I walked by a group of older people I'd hear some mix of "piercings", "stupid", and "infections". Some old guy even had the audacity to ask me "If I actually thought it looked good?". Some people would look at me and just shake their head in disgust or just stare rudely, and most recently a customer told my co-worker that he "might be able to understand me if I took that ring out of my lip". Ugh.
I'm a pretty sensitive person and I take things to heart, so at first I was pretty upset and hurt that people were saying things and staring at me. Why do they just look at my piercing and think I might be some kind of punk or idiot? Does it ever cross their mind that I waited til I was out of high school to get it, worked hard in school and made the honor roll most of the time, paid for it with my own, hard earned money, and plan on going to college in the fall to make something of myself? I'm one of the nicest, most tolerant people they'll ever meet, and in a fast food place that's pretty hard to find sometimes. It just really annoyed me....why are these people judging me and being so mean? Have they ever stopped to think that maybe it makes *me* happy and that it makes me feel better as a person? No, they want to judge me because they don't understand.
It's been a big change. I'm usually the nice, shy, quiet girl that most older people like because I don't do anything. But now, they look at me in disgust, judge me, are rude to me...all because I wanted a lip piercing that would make *me* happy that I paid for with my own, hard-earned money.
I do want more bodymods and I am going to get them in the future. Now I'm starting to learn just how judgemental and ignorant people can be and will be about things like bodymods. People fear what they don't understand. In a way I'm kind of glad, because now I'm getting used to it. People are going to judge me no matter what, especially if I do something I like instead of what everyone likes, and I'm glad I'm learning to handle that. I want to be my own person and be able to handle the blows that come with being what you want and not what everyone wants. Before this, I would've never been able to do something if I thought the general majority of people wouldn't like it. But now, I know that if I'm going to be me, some people won't like it, but some people will, but what matters most is if I like me and what I'm doing. Without my bodymods experience, I would've been the shy, quiet, do-what-everyone-else-wants instead kind of person, and that is not the person I want to be. And for this, I am very thankful.
So I guess the lesson of this is that whenever you get that awesome tattoo or neat piercing you've been wanting forever, you will love it and enjoy it and be so excited about it. But, people will try to bring you down and ruin the experience with their own opinions and thoughts. If you're like me it takes some getting used to, but eventually you just learn to say "hey, whatever, if they don't like it that's their opinion, but I do and that's all that matters." No matter what people say or think or do, if you like it and it makes you happy, then it's all worth it. :)