I think we've all been 12 before. We want to be accepted. We want to be adored. We want to be COOL. That's how I was when I was twelve. I was just starting to get into the "rebellious stage" of my adolescence, as some call it. And I was nothing but a walking stereotype of these problems.
At A Glance Author CircularXParade Contact XCircularParadeX@hotmail.com When Two years ago Artist Ted Studio Solid Image Tattoo Co. Location Boynton Beach, FL Now, don't get me wrong, I had all of these problems and more, but I had wanted to get my ears pierced for some time by then, and I couldn't wait any longer. My mom was, and still is, very easy going when it came to such things; I got a direct "yes" from her. My dad, on the other hand, was raised in a very strict family, and gave me a "No" answer almost as soon as I has finished asking.
What did I do? I sulked. We all do that sometimes. And after I was done, I asked again. By now I was used to getting the same progression of answers, so it wasn't as bad as it had been before.
The turning point in this story came about a month later, I believe. I had just turned 13, and I was eager to celebrate. And the case at the time just so happened to be that my dad was out of town...
Now, don't get me wrong. I, in NO WAY, advocate going behind your parents' backs and cheating them; they do too much for you to do that to them. But can anyone really blame me for asking my mom that weekend? When I got my "yes" answer, with no second party to contradict it, I literally jumped for joy.
We went that day to Solid Image Tattoo Co. I had heard all my friends talk about the body piercer they had there, and that he had a huge septum piercing. As I entered, I located the man with the huge septum(no exaggeration, 6ga seemed huge to me at the time), and asked if I could get my ears pierced. I was confused with the answer I was given: "NO. Go away."
At that moment, my mom walked in the door, and the expression on his face quickly shifted to a more positive visage; he introduced himself as Ted and asked me to step behind the table. After sterilizing everything and having a quick conversation about the procedure, he marked off a single dot on both of my ears. They looked even, so we went on. I let slip "Will this hurt?"
He turned and glanced. After a pause he responded with "Yeah. Probably." How reassuring.
Within seconds, the needle was against my ear, and he told me to take 3 deep breaths. Let's just say "wow" without the "w". The second one was a bit better. He told me my ears were at a 14ga, just as I requested. I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror; it was love at first sight. I stepped outside and he handed me some cleaning solution and forms on how to take care of my ears. I paid him, tipped him twenty percent, and was on my way.
When my dad got home.....err, let's not get into that. All I can say was my whole family got the wrath for that one. However, upon my mom's inquiry, he did concur that I was deserving of a "ceremony" as they put it. I suppose it made sense.
About a year later of stretching, I had my ear at half an inch. I went way too fast, and had blown out the back of one of my lobes. It's rather Interesting how quickly the tables can turn on someone. I decided to take them out and let them shrink. It has been a year; my ears are still about a 4ga.
So.
If you're going to get your ears pierced, please do NOT be a dumb bum like I was. It cost me two wonderfully done piercings, as well as money and pain. I wasn't ready; make sure you ARE when you make the decision. Ear piercings, or rather piercings in general, can be wonderful things when you know how to take care of them. But I didn't do my homework, and I paid the price.
Since then, I have gotten my eyebrow pierced. The same piercer did it, and I still possess it. It looks wonderful, most likely because, due to the fact that it is an eyebrow piercing, I couldn't stretch it and go overboard.
It has been two years since I got my ears pierced and they are still open because I went to fast stretching them. Don't make the same mistake. Heed this advice; have some regard for your body when you're about to shove something through it.