Never TOO Old for a course change

At A Glance Author Dan Contact Dan@bme.anon Artist Alex Studio Big Buddha Tattoos Location Lubbock, Texas

Having six tattoos, including a very large eagle on my upper chest and an all-black piece covering almost all of my back, of course I am still somewhat afraid of needles! I only have about 20 hours total under the tattoo needle, after all. And at least those tattoo needles don't look like large drain pipes.

But I was told that while a big piercing needle might hurt a little more for a fraction of a second than those little tattoo needles, the pain of a piercing is over before you know it, while the pain of tattooing lasts as long as the tattoo session. That made sense to me. At least on some areas, after three or four hours, getting tattooed really does begin to hurt. But my piercer could not believe a guy with all of those tattoos was worried about the pain involved in getting his little old nipples poked!

Anyhow, I was still Very Nervous, but I had been thinking about this modification for months now, and for some reason the time just finally seemed to be right. So I went to the shop where my last three tats were done. Alex had been there when they were applied and so we know each other pretty well. I told her that she was going to have to "talk me into it" to get me over my fear. She didn't try too hard, probably knowing that I was really ready to do it or I wouldn't be there talking about it. I told her I wanted the largest hole and biggest ring she thought would be OK to use. She recommended that we go with 12 gauge although she would do 10s if I insisted. So that is what I wanted. But she only had one 10 x 5/8 ring, so we would have to wait for a shipment! NOW OR NEVER, I feared. And she had shown me both ten and twelve gauge needles. The ten looked like a damn storm sewer pipe while the twelve just looked like a regular water drain pipe. So let's use the 12s.

Alex hurt my feelings right away. She was having a hard time getting the marks right and told me that one nip was bigger than the other. And I had always thought I had a perfect body.

So she finally got the marks to suit both of us, opened everything up, and put the clamp on my left tit. That was no problem, in fact I kinda liked it. I asked, "how long will it take to poke the hole, about as long as it takes me to say f...u...c...k ?" She thought that was about the right amount on time. So I said OK, go ahead.

The first one hurt like hell. But Alex said I didn't use the f-word. She got the ring in and I jumped up and walked around cursing and muttering, trying to decide whether to leave or let her do the other one. Since I hate being lopsided (as soon as I got a tat on one leg or arm, I wanted my symmetry restored and had to have one on the opposite limb), I climbed back on the table and told her to go ahead with the right one.

DAMN The second one was even worse! I cursed and bitched alot. Didn't help, though. Never does . . .

So both nips now sport 12 gauge by 3/4 inch rings. I knew getting that first piercing would be like getting the first tattoo, which I thought about for only almost thirty years before I got the courage to do it. But I was back for tattoo number two a week later, then a major back piece three months later, and had my sixth one done in less than a year. Damn I hope the piercing addiction isn't that bad . . . I really cannot imagine where to put that many holes in my already perfect body!

Like with the first tattoo, at first I had a really hard time believing I had actually done it. But there was no doubt about it, the silvery evidence was right there in my tits! I do like them though. One of them bled a little the first night, but I have had no problems yet (it's only been four days). No trouble with sleeping with them. Very little crusties. The soreness lasted only about 18 to 20 hours, now it is really barely noticeable. No problem rotating them. But they do NOT want to be flipped up.

I am newly single (my chest eagle was my 24th wedding anniversary present to myself; no, my wife was not there to participate in the consummation . . .). I haven't shown the nip rings off yet, since some of my friends are a little too frisky and I really don't think I want anyone playing with them yet. I got them for me. But I am really ready to give them an audience and some playmates!

Since I was 50 when I got my first tattoo and 51 when I got my nips poked, I am living up to my new reputation. Some folks say I am a crazy sonofabitch. Some just think I am a weird bastard. I like best being called a Fucking Old Hippie (haven't shaved in over four years, no haircut in almost three years, so all the hair is pretty long). Some of my friends and family think I am going through a Mid-Life Crisis. I prefer to think of it as a carefully considered series of Mid-Course Corrections. With more still needed!