At A Glance Author Sarah Contact Sarah@bme.anon When A month ago Artist can't remember Studio Chameleon Location Boston My entire teenage career I wanted my belly button pierced. My father, conservative as he is, hated the idea and refused to let me have it done. My mother didn't want to argue with him, so she agreed with my father. At one point my father stated that if I got my belly button pierced he wouldn't pay for college.
I entered a Boston college on September 3rd. I made a few friends (two girls and a guy), and as school had not started yet, we decided to explore Boston. We ended up in a mini mall in Harvard Square called The Garage. The Garage had 3 or 4 restaurants, a book store, a music store, 2 small apparel stores, and a piercing and tattoo parlor. The guy had told me that he wanted to get a tattoo, and I had told him I wanted to get my belly button pierced. We checked out the prices and the parlor. These guys were very clean. The store was a little over priced, but it was worth it for how clean they were.
We decided to get my piercing, but the guy would have to wait until Sunday to get his tattoo because it would take about two hours. It turned out that the day I was there was the day before I turned 18. So we decided to return on Sunday when the guy was going to get his tattoo.
The next day was my birthday, so the guy, one of the girls, the guy's roommate, and myself celebrated in the guys' room. The guy who was to get the tattoo the next day was very nervous. I stayed up with him all night.
Sunday comes and we get dressed and head down to Harvard Square. I wait with the guy to get his tattoo done before I get my piercing because I wanted him there to hold my hand. It took about two hours to get his tattoo done, and it was beautiful. He got a rose whose stem looks as if it wraps around his spine. The man did an awesome job. It cost the guy $200. When the guy finished we decided to get some food, then to get my piercing. When we went to get it, however, it turned out that their piercer did not show up to work because he spent the entire day at the Boston Tattoo convention. We decided to return the following day.
My last class that Monday ended at 5:15. I met the guy right after class and we headed down, yet again, to Harvard Square. All the conditions were met this time. I was 18, the piercer was there, and there was enough time to get it done. I chose a curved barbell with two clear gems in each ball. I wanted something pretty conservative to start. I paid my $84, and signed my life away.
The waiting was the worst. I got so nervous, but it felt kind of stupid to feel nervous about this because the guy had just gotten a tattoo that took two hours! I was in line behind 3 other women, so I had to wait about 20 or 30 minutes.
Finally, the waiting was over and the man called my name. We went inside the room. It was pretty small, slightly smaller than a pediatrician's exam room. He told me to lift up my shirt. He marked my belly button and put on some iodine. He then told me to lie down on the table. He explained to me what was going on. He told me to try and relax as much as possible. He said that I was to exhale when he said. I put my arm down so the guy could hold my hand. The man pierced me freehand, and when the needle was in he told me to exhale until he pushed it all the way through. If you have ever donated blood, think about what it felt like when they pushed the needle into your arm, and then kind of left it there, that's what it felt like. The man finished and I stood up to look at my piercing in the mirror. I love it! The guy I was with tipped him $10, plus I was the last customer of the day, so I got the soap and the H2Ocean for free.
I told my father what I did, and I thought he was going to be angry with me. His response was: "It's your money!" Things change so much now that I'm not with my parents. This was my first major decision without my parents, and it felt good to make that decision. My parents are treating me differently now. My mother does not want to be my mother; she wants to be my friend.
That was a month ago and my piercing is healing nicely. It was sore for a few days and I had a black and blue mark around my belly button for a few days and now it is gone. I love it, it makes me feel sexier. I am glad that my father made me wait until I turned 18 to get it done, because it represents a sort of freedom for me. I am very happy with my results, and I would recommend Chameleon to anybody.