I had wanted an eyebrow piercing for the last two years. I had just had my seventeenth birthday, and saved up $100 to cover any possible charges I would encounter to get this piercing done! After calling many places in our rural-farming area of Ohio, I finally settled for Sharp Images, where most of my friends had their piercings and/or tattoos. There were a few other places I scouted, but they were either trashy or too far away. Piercing salons are few and far between in this area.
At A Glance Author redmercury Contact redmercury@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist the guy at sharp images Studio sharp images Location orrvillle, ohio On the big day, my mom took me to the place, since I needed a legal guardian. I wasn't really as nervous as I thought I would be, getting a hole in my eyebrow and all. And as someone who was seen in school as somewhat of a goody-goody, one who had never (and still hasn't) done a drug or been drunk, as most people that have piercings or tattoos at my school have (stereotypical, perhaps, but the truth), I wondered what my friends would think.
I got to stand around for a few minutes and look at the walls covered with tattoo ideas. I got to see guys sitting on the couches and playing pool, going outside for a smoke, and generally just joking and talking to some customers. I saw a guy that I had hated from my previous high school get some really lame tattoo that was totally un-original. I saw a really idiotic girl I had also known get a belly button ring, which was the major trend at the time. But, eventually, I got to pay my $50 or $60 and went into the back room with this really awesome guy who had one of those wrist barbell things, arms totally covered with tattoos, and multiple eyebrow and ear rings, plus very large gauges (well, low number sizes I guess) in both ears.
The room was very small, but also comfortable. Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" blared in the background. This being my first time in such a place, I was awed at how awesome a career this must be! Or to be able to get tattoos and piercings all the time and just chill out at this place. The artist was totally awesome. He told me how he wouldn't go to the restaurant next door that my friends and I frequented after school because they had been assholes and kicked him and his friends out once, for no good reason, really. He asked me what eyebrow I wanted done, and if I was interested in any other types of piercings. General conversation, basically.
As he prepped my right eyebrow for the piercing, we talked about how to take care of the piercing. As the needle neared my eyebrow, I braced for the worst. But ... there it went, and it wasn't bad at all. It was so great. I went over to the pharmacy next door and bought the ointment he recommended to me, and was on my way.
A few weeks later was my first day of school. I went in on the first day, a little early as usual ... and before first period started, I had three teachers and a wing supervisor on my back. "You know piercings are against thee rules." Uh, actually I didn't; kids had plenty of them last year. But ... since I was historian for a business organization, and active in school stuff ... guess what, just mine had to go. Only weeks after my brand new piercing, it had to go. That ring of beauty ... in the trash. Other kids put spacers in their holes, or just wore them around school, daring someone to make them take theirs out. Of course, being a "role model" for the school (yeah, that's me ... riiight), I couldn't get mine re-done and not face consequences.
And then, months later, I started dating a new guy. I figured, after graduation, I can go and get another piercing! But ... he finds them unattractive! I just think I'm meant to not have one. I don't even have a picture of myself during the brief weeks that I spent with my piercing. Sleeping uncomfortable with it, but bearing through. I think that was the worst thing abou it; having to sleep oddly. A barbell wouldn't have been as uncomfortable, but I had a ring in there. The best part ... having people I didn't know give me a "look" - living in this area of Ohio, where people are Republican, Abercrombie-wearing, khaki-colored farmers or the rich children of farmers, it's awesome to be different. Since then, I've been back to Sharp Images with my friend so she could get a tattoo of little footprints on the back/side of her arm.
Tattoos, here I come!