Retirement.
At A Glance Author broken_wings Contact [email protected] IAM broken_wings When N/A For most people, this word evokes visions of sipping lemonade through a straw while you're sitting on a lawn chair in your own backyard with your feet dabbling in the kiddie pool. You're wearing a straw hat and sunglasses and you're damn pleased because you're getting paid to not go to work today.
Perhaps this is not everyone's idea of retirement. Most certainly, it does not reflect the thoughts of the body modification community. I'm willing to bet that for those that modify themselves, the word "retirement" carries a completely different meaning. At least, it most certainly does for me.
For many of us, "to retire" is a good way to describe removing a piece of jewelry from a piercing within your body. As though that piece of metal had a career and at some point it ceases to do its job. So you get rid of it. This may be an accurate description. Often jewelry is removed (or a piercing is "retired") because of physical problems that have occurred (ex. Infection, scarring, etc.) or because it no longer serves a purpose. That purpose may have been perceived enhancement of beauty or some other reason � the fact of the matter is: it just doesn't do it for you anymore.
However, it must be noted that sometimes a piercing does not fail us. Sometimes people fail us. Sometimes retirement of a mod is the direct result of someone exercising their will, and of an individual bending to it for one reason or another. Sometimes people feel forced to sacrifice a piece of themselves in order to gain some sort of necessity, be it job security or motherly love.
But I digress. Modifications get retired. This is not a constant or inevitability; it is merely something that happens. It may not happen to you, or him, or Sally or Joe. But it is a reality. And the effects can be gigantic.
I've read many an experience written about the retirement of a modification. Few of them are written joyfully, most are tinged with somber feelings of regret or acceptance. I can only imagine through these submissions what it must feel like to retire a modification. But I've come close.
I always told myself that if a modification of mine (specifically, piercing) didn't turn out properly (straight, no scar tissue, etc.) I would remove it. Apparently my will is not as strong as I thought it was. I have a crooked lower navel piercing that I doubt I will ever be able to convince myself to remove, despite the fact that it could be easily repierced. I have an anti-tragus piercing that is still healing TWO years after the original puncture. Once, I tried to take out my tongue web piercing because it was hurting too much for my liking. (Due to plaque build-up.) I was unable to remove the barbell, and in retrospect, I'm very glad I hadn't managed. My tongue web is presently doing very well and is no longer irritating. (Knock on wood!!) My nape piercing is also doing well, and I am terrified that anything bad could happen to it. Removing my nape piercing would be something very new, and presumably sad, for me to experience. May I never have to do resort to this decision.
I find it interesting how strongly attached a person can become to their body modifications. I suppose it is logical, for when something becomes a part of you � I doubt you'd fancy losing it! How many of you (voluntary amputees are exempt from this query) would enjoy to lose an arm? Although a nostril piercing is no way near as functional as an arm, the removal of said piercing has the potential to be devastating. So I hear.
What it comes down to is that I don't completely know what it's like to retire a piercing. I can imagine. I can ask myself if that's a step I want to take. As I've already mentioned, I've even attempted retirement! My closest cousin to retirement would have to be the loss of my 4ga lobes. I miss my 4ga lobes desperately, despite the fact that I will eventually be reclaiming them. (I will achieve this goal by stretching up a gauge every two months.) I did not retire my stretched lobes, but I did downsize them significantly. I'm stretching back up, but in my journey to 5.1mm goodness I feel a loss akin to that of what I assume retirement would feel like.
Although I look forward to sunny beaches and tiny umbrellas in my drinks, I hope that the only form of retirement I'm ever forced to experience is one that is well-known by mainstream society (and paid for by the government). Good luck with all of your body modifications, and I hope you never have to relinquish them unless that is your heart's desire!