I had to write an essay for me l.a. class and so i figure i'll jsut put it up here to!!!!
At A Glance Author Layla Contact Rapunzel6341@aol.com When A week ago Artist Foster Studio Adrenaline High Performance Location Orlando, Florida "Through out my life I was known as the good girl. Even though the people close to me knew differently I was still though of a harmless, good girl. Also through out my life I have been fascinated with navel pierces. It had never occurred to me to actually get one, I mean; I was such a good girl and all. I must admit I'm only really seen as a good girl to those who don't know the 'real' me, but at home I always tried to avoid situations that might get me into trouble, so I received the term good daughter.
Even as a child me individuality showed, I was my own person, untamed-able by all. I didn't get my way all the time, but could never be forced to do something I felt strongly against. I guess perhaps I got my stubborn streak from my dad, who at times could not be forced of an opinion.
At the beginning of my eighth grade year my friend told me her mom was going to let her get her navel pierced. Well that sparked my interest. What could be more fun then having a friend with a pierced belly button, well having my own! That's when I decided, I was going to get my belly button pierced. It was as good as set in stone.
I saw my dad first after school, and he being big on self-expression I thought would love the idea. I had thought we would need to work together to get my mom to approve. When I asked him, he nearly exploded; he considered it mutilating my body and forbade it. I was still convinced I was going to get it done one way or another.
So I asked my mom. She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no. She apparently didn't care what my dad thought. She wasn't keen on the idea but she would think about it. So she sat on it for weeks, meanwhile I was planning a persuasive move.
BMEZine.com had stories, of those who had gotten their navels' pierced. I went on and read many that were located in Florida in our area, and then I printed them out. I took them to my room and highlighted ages and other important things that my mom thought was uncommon. As the weeks continued to go by, my friend who had inspired me still hadn't done anything, maybe I would be the first!
I left the highlighted-pages on her desk each day, after a week or two I started printing out directions to different piercing studios. I continued to talk about getting it done, like it was set in stone when ever I was around her. After a while longer she told me, fine for your birthday. I don't think she actually thought I was going to go through with it.
Well she called my first choice of location, they wouldn't pierce someone unless they were sixteen or older, well how about my second choice. Yes they would! That Saturday we went and got the form notarized. We road the long drive done there, all along my mom testing me on when my birthday had been. You had to be at least fourteen, I wouldn't be fourteen till two days later, but who knew if that would have mad a difference so if asked my birthday was the day before.
We parked, I reached for the door and my mom asked me if I was sure, I was most defiantly, I had waited months for this, I would not back down! I felt out of place in the studio, it wasn't at all how I imagined it. The room was empty and lined with tattoo templates and the counter was filled with belly rings and barbells. There was a black couch and some video game machine. The telephone and fax where sitting on the floor in the back. I could see the hall that lead to four, maybe six separate rooms. He checked all the information and went to set up, my mom and I looked at all the tattoos as we waited. All I could do was to question, was I really a good girl or not. Could I go through with it, and why was I here, getting something other then my ears pierced?
He called us back; my mom had to come with me. We made our way through the door way and the guy told me to pull up my shirt. He put on these black, latex gloves and told me to lay down on the green dentist-gone-mad chair. Once laying down he cleaned the area around my belly button with some kind of sterilizer. He picked up a purple marker and marked where the needle would go in and where it would come out. As he was getting the needle out of the packaging I said I felt really stupid all of a sudden. I thought at that moment that my friend Kayla was right; it was stupid to do this. I was totally out of place, I didn't belong here. I suddenly wanted to run from the sterile room, but the guy-Foster, was like well, your about to get a piece of metal shoved into your body, what could be more fun then that! I laughed it off, he asked me if I was ready. I took a breath and said yes, I took another and he stuck the need up into my skin. I felt an intense pain in my stomach for about three seconds, and then it was just kind of a stinging feeling, that let me know, yes I had just been 'mutilated'.
The needle was hollow so it didn't push skin aside, it took some out. He had a thingy, like what they use as a cap on wine bottles; well he stabbed the end of the needle into that so it wouldn't keep poking me. I couldn't see any of this until just then, I hadn't seen the needle to begin with, I had just thought he had stuck the jewelry into me, but when I saw him getting something shiny and barbell-shaped I thought, what? I looked down and it seemed that a quark screw was sticking out of me. I leaned back and could just feel a sharpness when he changed the needle for the jewelry.
He said that I was all done; I practically jumped up to see it, which was a bad move. I stood up and felt really dizzy, different colored specks were floating around in front of my eyes. The once loud music now seemed distant, and I could barely hear Foster telling me about the after care procedures. At least my mom was listening!
I guess I went pale, Foster told me to lie back down and he'd be right back. He brought me a free bottle of orange juice and that cleared my head right away. My mom was making small talk with him about the business while I regained sanity.
My cousin lived really close and we had to drop off some soaks we got her six month old son in Gatlinburg, so we decided to call and see if we could come over. I had only seen my new second cousin once before when he was only a couple weeks old. He had grown so much it was unbelievable. When my cousin asked me why we were up here I told her to get my navel pierced and she freaked out and wanted to see. Apparently she had had her navel pierced too. But had taken it out when she got pregnant, she told me to follow her and she gave me her belly ring. It was the perfect size, which is very strange and had two dried flowers in the lower ball!
Days later I can only fell it when I bump it against something or when I deeply bend over. It's just a little red and I LOVE it! I love the reactions; I guess some people don't think a girl like me would ever get something like that done. I don't really know how I lived without it before, it's defiantly something that makes me, me. It'll take a couple of months to heel, but I'll be able to change it out to another barbell in a couple of weeks!
I am so glad I went through with it, all my doubts went away the second I exited the studio. I feel so confident!!!"
if any of u are tinking about getting it done, i say go for it and try not to chicken out becuase u'll fall in love with it by the time u get home!!!!!!!
peace and love
layla