At A Glance Author wildman Contact wildman@bme.anon When N/A Artist TatooGirl Studio Tora Location Waterloo Age and experience are not the same thing. Age is inevitable. Experience is chosen. So I chose to have my left nipple enhanced, adorned at age fifty. Half a bloody century. I should be thinking about buying slippers, Knocking back a pint of Geritol just to get up the stairs. Never mind any other getting up. "An old man is .... some rags... and therefore I have sailed the golden seas and come unto Byzantium". Another old guy wrote that - and I think he would have approved - silently.
Reasons? Liberty - a recent divorce, a new person in my life, a baby on the way. Return to being a wild child. Too many visits to BME (Thanks!). I`d been thinking of it for a year or more as my life spiralled away. Job erased by a corporate take-over. Marriage lost in the acid of bitterness. Hope dimming except when I chose and strove to be my authentic self. But the self was so sweet, so filled with passion and acceptance. When I met my new lady it was like fireworks going off in my soul. I did not know that being in love, being a man, knowing somebody else could be so strong, turbulent, beautiful.
Whatever the real reason we found ourselves in Tora Tattoo, looking at rings, getting excited. Enough prevarication - I just did it. Filled out the forms and asked for a 16 gauge ring, left nipple. No waiting, no muss, no fuss. A few kids hanging in the waiting area were staring (look at the old geezer with the young woman!) (Wow he`s going into the piercing room!!!) (Is he the health inspector?)
I was impressed - cleaner than many doctor`s offices. Everything fresh from the autoclave and wrapped blue. The piercer even put a plastic sleeve over the spray bottle of alcohol to protect it from her gloved hands! I`ll admit the tray of tools was little intimidating. As in "what the hell is that thing and where are you going to put it?"But then if there wasn`t a little scariness, every Tom, Burt and Harry would be pierced. O.K. deep breath and on we go.
A moment to mark, fear as the clamp goes into place then a stab of pain and my stomach muscles as tight as a board. Really the pain was only for one second, then a throbbing, some nausea, but nothing worse than banging your toe on a chair.
Now there`s a glint of gold as I look down. The lady thinks it is wonderful and intends to get her`s done (and more!) after the baby is born.
Healing goes well. Simple cleaning a couple of times a day. Staying away from the fleece jumpers (OWW!). Keeping it moving. Avoiding the edge of the bathroom door - which I only forgot once. A week in and the ring is an old friend. Familiar and part of me. Fresh air seems to help the healing process and although there was a day of swelling, none of the nasty stuff has happened - of course I have always healed quickly, but I was expecting a lot more trouble after reading others` experiences. I guess going to a first-class piercer makes all the difference.
What more can I say. A statement of freedom. A way to reclaim my self-hood so I can give it all to someone else. A reminder of love and passion. A bad finger waved at everyone who tries to put me in a box or their choosing.
As for Tora - the best. I looked around and they are the best. Clean, no pressure, friendly without being false and so, so professional. I`ll be back. (Idea - Bach. The score for a Prelude and Fugue tatooed some place. Ho would I read it at the keyboard though?).
Maybe this is too strange for you. Maybe there is no fool like an old fool. But this is a happy fool. My advice - just do it. Nothing to lose and a self to gain.
O.K. one worry. I travel a lot and my sunny disposition attracts airport secuirty screeners. How do I answer the "do you have a pen in your top pocket sir" next time they pull me out of line? Will the ring send them off on a wild-goose chase for other hippy stuff? There is none, but once you break the profile open, they freak. No matter - a bridge to cross later. (And one of my mentors was a bridge expert at Arnhem. Now doen`t that show my age!)
We will see what happens. Maybe I`ll get to post guidlines for dealing with Homeland Secuity when you wear your heart on your..... nipple. Maybe I`ll find out that all those guards keep their handcuFFs in a non-approved place. Maybe they will tell me about George W.`s little secret...
:)