My mother had come to visit me in California a few years ago. It was nice to have her out to see what was going on in my life. Since moving away from my family many things have changed; one of the larger things was my interest in body modification. Both of my parents knew that I had been getting pierced and were supportive of me even if at times they had concerns or did not understand my desires in this realm.
At A Glance Author Steven Babkirk Contact Steven Babkirk@bme.anon IAM prcdangl When Five years ago Artist Anne Greenblatt Studio Piercing Exquisite Location Foster City, CA While my mother was visiting me I made an appointment to meet with my piercer, Anne Greenblatt for both a personal visit and to get my Prince Albert done. I wanted my mother to see that I was not only going to a professional but that she held herself to the highest standards of sterility and professionalism.
We arrived at Anne's house in the early afternoon and my mother got acquainted with Anne over lunch and friendly conversation. My mother began to ask questions and look through not only Anne's portfolio but also the wonderful collection she has of PFIQ (Piercing Fans International Quarterly).
As Anne went up to her studio to prep out everything I stepped outside for a cigarette and my mother shocked me with the last thing I expected to hear that day. My mother wanted to know if she could get her nipples pierced! I was a little surprised but supportive of her. I explained to my mother that it was her decision but that it was not one to be made on the spur of the moment. I explained that I trust Anne with my body and that all of the modifications I have made were decisions I made over time. My mother at this point was having an internal debate with herself trying to decide what she should do. I reminded her that when I wanted to get my ear pierced when I was much younger, that she and my father told me that I had to wait and if after that time I still wanted to get my ear pierced I could get it done. I made her the same deal with the addition that I would fly her back to California to see Anne and pay for anything she wanted. These statements made her calm down and think more clearly about what she wanted to do.
When we returned inside Anne was done prepping things out and asked if I was ready to go up. I rummaged through Anne's CD collection for music to play in the background while I got pierced. I ended up choosing to listen to Skinny Puppy's VIVIsect, not the most calming music but something that I felt was appropriately violent enough to let me concentrate on it rather than the Price Albert I would soon have.
Again from out of the blue my mother surprised me again. She wanted to know if it was okay if she came up with us and watched how this was done. I could hardly believe my ears. Anne and I looked at each other for a moment and told her that she could join us if she really wanted to.
Once in the studio I removed my clothes and sat up on the table. Anne went over the procedure with me step-by-step and explained what could be expected by having this done. After measuring and marking for placement we were ready to begin. My mother however kept asking questions about what was on the table and Anne was more than happy to show her the sterile equipment and explain what it was used for. At one point during things being placed on the tray Anne dropped a captive bead ring on the floor, without batting an eye she took another sterile ring from a cabinet of sterilized equipment and set it out on the tray. The ring that was dropped, although it was in a sealed autoclave bag was left on the floor until after we were done at which point it was opened, repackaged and put back in the autoclave.
Anne changed her gloves again and put some form of lubricant on the needle receiving tube. The piercing was going to be done at 10ga and at the time it seemed really large. Anne gently slid the tube into my penis as I took a few deep breaths. There was a pinching discomfort but nothing unbearable. My mother could see the discomfort on my face and reached over to take my hand while commenting something to the fact that this must really hurt. As politely as I could I asked her to be quiet and let me concentrate on the background and my breathing. At this point I was not used to having other distractions around while I was being worked on. For the rest of the procedure she was very good to keep her comments quiet.
The needle receiving tube was positioned in such a way as to make the piercing as direct as possible. With a deep breath in and rush of breath out Anne advanced the needle through my skin. Anne missed the needle receiving tube by a very small amount and adjusted the tube slightly and finished pushing the needle through. The point of the needle and the tube were removed from my penis and a cork was placed on the tip to avoid having the needle slip back or cause any other damage to me. The experience was amazing, I instantly broke into bullets of sweat and the rush of endorphins was unlike any drug.
Once again Anne changed her gloves and then took the 10ga ring and used the needle to guide it through the piercing and back out. I felt another slight pinch as the bead was popped into place. I took a final breath as my body started to calm and I looked down on my penis to see the ring that was just put in.
My mother reached over and took my hand again and told me it was over and I smiled as Anne told me that I did really well. Unfortunately with how tender I was I couldn't get my pants back on! Anne being the angel and friend that she is gave me one of her skirts to wear home. I still have it in a box as a memory of that day and her friendship.
On the ride home my mother commented on how impressed she was with Anne and how everything was handled, even doctors don't change their gloves that often, nor are they as aware of cross contamination.
That day was a transition in my modification experiences and I believe that for my mother it was a day of learning, acceptance, understanding, and even a bit of pride. She has always been there to support me in spirit with everything I have done since. I cannot thank her enough for that.
As a final note my Prince Albert has healed perfectly with no complications and has been stretched to 0ga, skipping eight and four gauge along the way. Unfortunately I have lost contact with Anne over time and miss her presence in my life. My modifications have moved further along and in many ways, I may no longer need her as a piercer but I do miss her friendship. I do know however that she will always remember the day that I received my Prince Albert with my mother there to observe. After all, ear piercing is one thing, but a genital piercing is quite a different situation. To this day I think that it stands out as one of the most surreal experiences of my modification history.