Tragus

I got my first ear piercing when I was 13.  It was just a plain old

'normal' lobe piercing. My second lobe piercing was the incentive for me to pass the driver's ed test, the third was discoraged by my parents but I did it anyways. They said "No More".

Ha.  This summer I got 3 cartilage piercings, and proceded to hide

my ears under my long hair. It was not that my parents would tell me (19 at the time, and apparently not old enough to make my own descisions) to take them out, but they would piss and moan like parents do about things. After 2 months, when it was no longer a secret, I was told "No More" again. Yeah sure...

I have spent the summer planning to get something pierced.  I

visited all the body piercing web sites, asked other people about their piercings, and tried to find a place nearby to get pierced.

Classes start up again, and I am running around campus again.  I see

a sign that was such a dream come true, "Body Piercing Available Here".
Could it be? I could get pierced on campus?

The place was Central Connecticut State University's "The Other

Bookstore". I had been in there a total of 5 times in the past 2 years, I had seen the cabinet of body jewelry, but thought nothing of it.
Naturally I went in now and took a better look at the jewelry. I had been thinking about getting something rather simple done first, my tragus, then move onto more vital organs. I made the appointment to get my tragus pierced 2 days in advance, which was the day before my 20th birthday, this was my gift to myself (and as my B-day turned out, the only gift I actually got).

I was so excited about getting it done.  I was jumping out of my

skin the rest of that day. In my mind I was already pierced. I kept reaching up to my ear and feeling for it.

The night before it, though, I could not sleep.  I was nervous.  I

had headaches for the rest of the night and into the morning. My stomach was upset and cramping up. The piercing would be done durring a long break between my classes, which this day I spent in the computer lab (the lab would relax me, besides it was near the Bookstore), watching the clock. 2 hours to go. 1 hour to go. 5 minutes to go....

I walked to the Other Bookstore, in the pouring rain, feeling kinda

faint. Someone told me that people getting their tragus' done sometimes puke and/or faint. I just hoped I could be graceful about it.

I was greeted by the piercer.  We picked out my jewelry from the

cabnet, a 16ga 3/8" Surgical Steel CBR, and then I was lead to the little room in the back. I sat in the chair and stared out the window.
He put a paper towel on my shoulder and instantly I began to think about whether or not this would bleed profusely. So I turned to watch him prepare the tools, but that knocked the paper towel off my shoulder, so I was instructed not to turn around.

My tragus was wiped with whatever cleaning fluids, too many it

seemed, I wanted to get it done with. Then a clamp was put on my tragus (since this was on the side of my face, I could not see it, I assume it was a clamp, I'm sure he told me what it was but I was too nervous to remember). Actually, the clamp hurt pretty good on it's own.

He was right handed and this was my left tragus, so he had to lean

over my head to do this. But at least from that perspective he'd not be able to see me wincing. He told me to take a deep breath. I took a deep breath, held onto the arms of the chair, braced myself, saw my life flash before my eyes....

When I had been asking people about thier piercings, they never

admit to it being painful. The piercing hurt, as most holes being punched into your head would, but it was not excruciating. It was over.
It was not that bad. The ring being inserted hurt. I sat on the chair, giggling nervously as he wiped away some of the blood. It was great.
It looked cool, if you ignored the scab. I liked it so much I made the appointment for the right tragus for the following week.

 I showed everyone.  I showed my coworkers, who liked it but asked

if it was painful. Thats the question I've been asked repeatedly over these past 2 weeks. They don't believe me when I tell them it did not hurt that much.

 My parents still do not know.  I really don't think it is any

concern of theirs. Besides, I'm not done with my piercing craze, and I don't need to hear another "No More".

~Tezcatlipoca http://www.geocities.com/Sunsetstrip/Arena/3626/