I know that this is gonna sound like a lot of other boring piercing stories, but I want to share one of the most memorable experiences of my life with you all. It all started at the end of March of 2001. I saw a classmate with her navel pierced and it was so cute! I'd thought about it in the past, but thought my body wasn't in good enough physical appearance to go ahead and do it. This was my senior year in high school and I had lost like 15 pounds over the summer and thought I looked pretty damn good enough to finally do it. Anyway, this girl in my class had gotten it done at a local place that was notorious for doing hideable piercings without parental consent as long as you were like 15 or 16. At that moment I decided that I was gonna go and do something mischievous for once in my life!
At A Glance Author Cilla When Five years ago Artist anonymous Studio Gargoyle's Location Mt. Sterling, KY
Our 3 day spring break came. Finally! I had been waiting for this moment for over a week! I went to the fast food joint I was working in at the time, picked up my check, and got into my friends car. I decided to have her take me so that my car wouldn't be seen at the parlor! Clever idea. I told my mom that I was going to my friends house before going to that night's dance team party. Anywho, my three friends and I drove the 20 minutes and we arrived to Gargoyle's tattoo and piercing shop. I took a deep breath as we walked into the shop. This was the first time that I had set foot in a place like that. Everything seemed very organized and in it's appropriate place. While we waited to speak to the artist, we all walked around gazing at the beautiful and some disturbing flash art that was on the wall. The whole time I am feeling a little nauseous with anticipation.
The artist finally came out and asked how he could help us. I told him that I wanted a belly button piercing and he asked how old I was. I told him that I was 17 (which I truthfully was) and he said, "Are your parents gonna flip out?". Of course I told him they wouldn't, when in fact I knew they would definitely not approve. Actually to this day, 4 years later, my dad has yet to find out! He said, "Ok, here's the paperwork, lemme set up and I'll be back out to get you." At this point I was breathing like a rabid dog! I was so nervous. He came back out and said ok, come on back! Oh my God! What was I thinking! He took me into the nice and clean back room and had me sit in a reclining medical chair. I then unzipped my pants and he had me stand up. He took a little purple felt tip type marker and marked the top and underneath of my navel where the needle would enter and exit my body. I then laid back down and he proceeded to take the needle out of its packaging and I kinda took a little peek. He saw me looking and said, "Hey! You don't wanna look at that!" I guess he could tell I was very nervous. Anyway, he put the point of the needle at the bottom marking of my navel and swiftly pushed it thorough! This is gonna sound weird, but I guess out of nerves I laughed when it went in causing it to pierce a little deeper than he desired. It was all good though! He inserted a hoop ring which I admit pulled a little. He gave me directions on how to clean it, I paid, and was on my way!
A couple of days later I awoke to a slightly torn piercing. That was very sore and stayed that way for a while. Where the piercing was so deep and my body's reaction to a new piercing, it had clear fluid coming out of it a year later. But I am the type of person that has earrings for years, take them out for a week and they are grown together! I even wore the piercing throughout the most of my pregnancy. Now it is better than ever because pregnancy stretched it just enough so I could easily find jewelry long enough. Anyway, the experience has a lot of emotion involved for me. It was me coming into my own! Piercing, graduation, marriage and a family. I wasn't ever going to be the same. Not little innocent me! My mother and I had a falling out about 2 weeks later and it was the type of argument that you make up and cry cause you are so frustrated and ready to have it over with! I took that as the perfect opportunity to go ahead and show her the piercing. She was like, "Ooh, that looks nasty!" It was because it ripped. But she wasn't mad at me. Like I mentioned before my dad still has no idea about my piercing or tattoo and I'd like to keep it that way! I definitely recommend getting it done, but let me warn you, body mods are addictive! Good luck!