At A Glance
Author	Sarah W.
Contact	Sarah W.@bme.anon
When	It just happened
Artist	Colter
Studio	Fry Street Inkworks
Location	Denton, TX

Background Information
I had been in a destructive relationship for seven months. It started from a physical attraction, and we fell in "love". After time, I realized we had nothing in common.

Ouch.

We argued all the time and we were constantly said hurtful things to each other, whether we meant to or not. We had broken up several times before and had gotten back together with the promise things would be different.

They weren't.

The End
So finally, I let it go. I told him that I couldn't be with him because he kept hurting me and that someone like that isn't someone I want to spend my life with. I wasn't willing to try again, having already "tried again" almost six times. I did and still do genuinely care about him... but I just can't deal with that kind of degradation anymore. That was around 9:15am on Friday, March 11 (2005). I was at school at the time, waiting for my next class to begin. Being the Friday before spring break, I didn't have many.

My Decision
The last time I had been pierced, it had been with him. He got his ears pierced at 8g and I had my tragus done, though I didn't think about this before I was pierced. After my 1:00 class was finished, I thought, I have the money, the time to get a piercing today, so I called Inkworks to ask if I needed an appointment for that day, which I didn't. I ate lunch with a few friends and walked from UNT to Fry Street. I decided on the
My piercing is very symbolic, and how I went about it was also, but I didn't realize that until a few hours later.

I walked down to the shop alone, which was unusual for me, having so many close friends, and I had always had someone come with me for modifications. I filled out the paperwork and already knew exactly what I wanted. The smallest 16g CBR they had was to be my jewelry, and I knew exactly where. I filled out the necessary paperwork and had my ID photocopied while Colter took about five minutes to sterilize the piercing room. I had been to Fry Street for all my mods and I trust it completely. Several pairs of gloves are used for every procedure.

When finished with the sanitation, Colter checked the paperwork and the survey on the back. ("Pregnant?" "Any drugs?" "Alcohol?" "Squeamish or prone to fainting?" "Prone to hypertrophic scarring or keloiding?" No, no, no, no, and no.) I paid, tipping ten dollars, then I then went into the room and sat on the bed. He cleaned my ear and marked it -- it took several tries to get it where I wanted it, but we were finally successful. The first marks looked very shallow and I would have been afraid of migration (though I've never had it happen) or accidentally bump it or sleep on it weird. But he got it right and made sure it's exactly what I wanted. I lay down on the bed and waited for him to insert the receiving tube underneath the skin. I felt a small prick of the needle when he was aligning it. I was ready.

"Alright. Deep breath in... and out." I exhaled and felt the needle penetrate my skin. No pop. Hardly any pain. Much less than any of my other piercings. The most painful part was when he was removing the receiving tube. Colter inserted the jewelry, opened the CBR and inserted the bead, and I was finished. No blood. I looked at it and instantly loved it.

He asked me how I was feeling, and I replied, "Great." I did feel great. My endorphin rush usually doesn't hit until about half an hour later, and I end up enjoying piercings much more than I think I will.

Though the pain of the piercing did not reflect the pain I felt in my heart, it was well worth it. I thanked Colter and left the shop. I walked down to get some coffee and sat down with a book. After a while of reading the same paragraph over and over, thinking about what I had just done, I understood how much this really did mean to me. It was very refreshing to know that I could be alone and happy, even if not at first.

My new piercing is an indication of my newfound independence.

If you're afraid of pain and enjoy mods, I definitely recommend this one. It isn't any worse than a standard lobe piercing. I also recommend Inkworks if you're in the Denton area.

I won't be taking out the tragus because I got it while I was with my ex, but my daith will always be special to me. It is an indication of my strength and the finality of ending a deteriorating relationship.