At my high school, we had every clique conceivable. There were the jocks, the stoners, and the preps.... the rich kids, the skateboarders, the pill heads, the geeks, farmers....you name it, we had it. These groups had their members and they stuck to it. I, however, didn't belong to these groups. I had my own group– the migrating group. It sounds pretentious and egotistical, but I was the one person that could make it in any group. I didn't necessarily do what they did (or didn't), but I could get along with any of them.
At A Glance Author ReeRee Contact ReeRee@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Steve Studio Mo Thangz Location Crossville, TN Somehow, though, in kicking it with so many different people, I managed to lose who I was and only see what they were. I knew I was in each group, but I didn't even know which one I fit into myself. So, when I hung out with a certain group, I acted like them. Then I moved to the next, and picked up on what they did. One minute I could be the biggest computer nerd ever (no offense), then the next I could be the biggest pothead on campus.
I'm not sure what it was that made me realize it, but I finally realized that I didn't have to be a carbon copy of everyone in my school. I needed to do what I like, and not worry about those around me. Sure, I may lose a few friends, but is me being happy worth losing a few friends because I wasn't just like them? Damn straight.
Piercings were not popular at my school.....Very few people had them. I'd never really given them much thought, until I went with a friend to a smoke shop/ piercing–tattoo shop in Crossville. He wanted to buy a pipe, and when we walked in, I was just amazed by all the piercing books and posters– and people– in the shop. That's when I knew I had to have something pierced.
The next week I came back. I wanted to get my eyebrow pierced. I was so nervous when I walked into the shop. I had to wait for about fifteen minutes since the piercer had another appointment in session. The longer I waited, the more nervous I got. Then, Steve– the piercer– walked out the door and said "Hey, I'm going to smoke, then I'll be in." For some reason, his relaxed attitude relaxed me somewhat.
When he got back in, he led me to the room and made me lay down so he could mark my eyebrow...and from there, it was just like Comedy Central. Every thing he said was funny. He kept me laughing the whole time, which is surprising because most of his jokes consisted of how bad he was going to screw up my piercing and how painful it really would be.
The piercing was nothing like I had set myself up for....it didn't hurt when he actually did it, it was just a lot of pressure. But, right when he started screwing the ball on and moving around a little for me, it started to burn. That eased off in the car, but I aggravated it again the next day. When I woke up the next morning, I just had to change the balls on it. That was a mistake- don't do it. It started burning and it burned for almost three solid days.
It healed right before I went back to school from Easter break, and I was ready to show it off. Like I thought I would, I lost friends. It's sad how society puts so much value into how you look and dress, and that piercings and tattoos are considered "bad". Not everyone quit talking to me....in fact, some people went and got their eyebrows done too. I saw who really liked me and who really talked to me "just because". I also have an eyebrow ring that I love. I have people coming up to me in the mall asking to touch it and if it hurt, how much it cost, how long before I could change it, etc, etc.
I graduated high school about two months ago. Now, I don't really feel like a basketball in an empty room, bouncing all over the place. Sure, I still have friends, and plenty of them, but now I'm more selective about who I hang out with. I hang out with people for who they are and how true of a friend they are, not just because I can become a copy of them.
People who know all about this think it's kind of sad that a piercing could so drastically change who I am and how I see things, and even who I hang out with, but I think its pretty damn cool. I feel like I know myself, like I stand out, and, most importantly, make an impression and am remembered.