I had just broken up with my boyfriend (very empowering), I was about to leave for college (very exciting but nerve-wracking), and I was shopping with my best friend, Jan (oh so much fun). We were about to have to wrap up the day so she could go pick up her mom from work, and I said, "Let's go get my ear pierced." I had been wanting an anti-tragus piercing for a couple of months but I was deathly afraid of how my dad would react. I had already freaked him out by getting my navel pierced when I was sixteen, but he took me to get it done, and was sure to make a few choice comments about the piercers' appearences when we left. Also, several months before, he told me that if I ever got a tattoo, which he knew I wanted, he'd cut me off from all financial support for the rest of my life. Then, just after I turned 18, he, Jan, and I went to Texas and got tattoos. Funny how dads start to relax and just give in to their daughters after a while.
At A Glance Author Casey Contact Casey@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Henry Studio 23rd Street Body Piercing Location Oklahoma City Anyway, Jan said "Yeah, let's go!" She really wanted me to get it done, too. I'd already witnessed the bloodbath that was her lip piercing, and I'm sure she secretly wanted to see me get stabbed again. I called my mom at work to tell her I was going to do it and to just make sure she wouldn't be that mad. She never understood why I wanted to pierce anything, but she thought my navel ring was "cute" and an anti-tragus piercing would be "scary." She just said "Oh Casey." But it was my money, so we headed to 23rd Street Body Piercing.
The piercer, Henry, who had pierced my navel, my mom's friend's navel, my roommate's nostril, and stretched Jan's lip, went through the speil with me, took my $58, and took me back. He must have not been too sure about my knowledge of piercing because he asked me to point to where I wanted to be pierced. Of course, I knew exactly what I was talking about and then he asked how I had gotten interested in anti-tragus piercing. BME, I told him. He knew all about it.
Enough talk, it was time to poke. I lied down on the table, took Jan's hand, and took my deep breaths. Then I felt it. I thought that it wasn't too bad at all and it went by really fast. But that was just the needle going through the few layers of skin on top of the cartilage. He paused long enough for me to foolishly think it was over and then pushed like all hell. Ok so that hurt. He kept asking me if I was okay, and I asked if I was bleeding. He said I was a little bit, and got the barbell ready to put it. That was definitely the worst part of my navel experience, so I was anticipating some tongue-biting pain. Yeah, putting in the jewelry hurt too. Then it slipped out before he could screw on the ball. So amidst all the blood, which was now flowing freely, he had to find the hole. I think his exact words were, "No, the hole's there, it's just a matter of finding it." I had to biggest beans I've ever had for about the next minute. It was a bit painful, but, f inally, it was in and all I wanted to do was get up and look in the mirror. It was a beaut. And still is, four months later. I have gotten so many compliments and comments about it. It intrigues a lot of people. It's weird because a lot of them look behind my ear because they don't understand that just the little flappy thing is pierced, and it doesn't go through my ear.
I had to keep ice on it for the rest of the day because there was some heavy-duty throbbing, and I was able to comfortably sleep on it after about 2 and a half weeks.
My mom promised me that my dad would NEVER notice. He did about 5 days later. He was standing next to me in the exact store in which I decided to get pierced, and said, "Is that thing new?" I said I had gotten it a few days ago and he proceeded to look all over my face and other ear for more piercings he may have overlooked. He got a questioning look on his face when he came across my home-made orbital on my other ear. "Dad, that's been there forever. You've already seen it." He just sighed, rolled his eyes, and then bought me a refrigerator for my dorm room.