When I am withdrawn, I still let people in, but it is limited. At the moment I am withdrawn.
Becky, one of my closest friends, is among the few able to draw me out of my shell when I am like this. We are kindred. I adore her. She is as crazy, quirky, deep and adventurous as I am. She is one of the greatest people I have ever met. I am blessed with her friendship. It is this kindred friendship we share that often leads to some off the wall "You can't make this shit up" moments. When Becky and I are bored and together, it usually turns into an adventure. Sometimes we find ourselves in a completely different state. It happens.
This particular Friday night in question, occurred a few summers ago. Becky texts me to hang out. I say sure. A few hours later she arrives at my house. She ends up falling asleep on my couch for an hour while I watch a movie. We are that bored. When she wakes we start talking about life. Somehow we get on the subject of piercings. She would like to get one. Would I come and hold her hand? She doesn't need to ask twice. I'm so there.
We take off for a local tattoo and piercing parlor. Upon entering the shop, we are told the gentleman that does the piercings will be back in about ten minutes. He had to run for supplies. If we wouldn't mind hanging around for a bit he would happily give Becky her piercing. It is in this fateful ten minutes that I make a big decision.
Becky and I make ourselves at home. We humorously comment on everything that catches our eye. We are quite the witty and clever comediennes. We tend to get really comfortable, like we own the place, where ever we may go. We are alpha females I guess. We walk over to the piercing book to check out the pics. At first the photos are tame. Belly buttons, nose rings, lip and eyebrow piercings are some of the first photos we peruse. Next are the tongue rings. I mention how I had wanted one for a few years now but the idea of needles in general gives me goosebumps. A long thick needle working its way through my tongue sounded so painful.
I tell how I heard horror stories of seriously infected tongues, not being able to speak and tongues swollen to the size of grapefruits from research I had done two years ago. I also know of many people whose tongue piercings were without incident. It can pretty much go either way depending on the person. Becky knows I am tossing the idea around in my head. Mostly because I am being vocally curious about wanting one but even if I wasn't being vocal, she would have picked up on the fact that I paused longer before turning the pages when it came to the tongue rings. I just shrug my shoulders and continue flipping through the album.
We come across a warning stating to the onlooker that the next several pages contained photographs with adult content. Becky and I smirk. Hell yeah we are going to check them out. First stop....nipple piercings. I'm not going to lie, the nipple piercings looked very sexy. We turn more pages. I figured we would see a few "down there" piercings next but Madone!!! All I can say is....why in the hell would people actually do that to themselves down there? Eastern medicine? I doubt it. Sexual enhancement? I don't know. May have to do more research on this just because I can't comprehend it. Described below are some of the things we saw in that photo album.
One guy had bars going up his entire thing. I want to say there were at least four, possibly five. They were under the skin, pocket piercings. He was literally ribbed for her pleasure although that looked like it would hurt. I wince. Another guy had a bunch of little hoops across his sac. Becky could not figure out the purpose for that. "A painful pencil holder?" I reply.
Another dude had this whole chain and hook thing going on. I grimaced. I am pretty positive the common consensus among all males is how very sensitive their private area could be. Just like women have been said to be very overly sensitive and emotional when it comes to their feelings, well men can be just as overly sensitive and emotional...... when it comes to their dick. Shocker! LOL!
So why would this guy risk his penis being subjected hooks and chains I thought. I mean, what if it gets snagged in his underwear. What if the chain gets caught in the zipper of his jeans. Ouch! That could cause one to see stars. What if he pisses his woman off and she gives that chain a good ole yank to even the score? Maybe he likes that. Maybe he wants a little tug and rub. But...how would that feel to a woman? We are sensitive down there too.
I started thinking of the movie Se7en (One of my all time favs) and the scene where the killer makes a guy wear a metal knife strap on to use on a hooker. This piercing display wasn't nearly as extreme but I feel strongly that sharp metal, jagged metal and any type of hook should not be introduced to your genitals or the genitals of others. And I am one of the more open minded people out there. Maybe some women really like that. I know of none...but there is a fetish for everything out there. His must be intense pain.
The one that really made me do a double take was that of a chick. She had her piercings arranged to look like a crucifix on her vajayjay. That is one hell of a chastity belt if you ask me. Praise Jesus! There had to be seven or eight piercings just on her hood and several more on her clitoris. Perhaps she is known for giving men "near god" experiences and decided decorating her puss with a cross was the next logical step. Could be. We are legends in our own minds on one level or another aren't we?
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| Body piercing jewelry types |
I just think they are cool while not being as obvious as other piercings. No one really has to know you have one unless you show them or you give a big old yawn. It is like saying, I am mysterious and very cool. Here is the book cover, but wait until you see the pages. Delve a little deeper and I'll show you. Pretty deep huh? I know! LMAO! I slay myself.
Becky looks at me with a smile. She is reading my thoughts. She tells me I should get my tongue pierced. It's my birthday month and she would love to get me a tongue piercing for my birthday. I remind her she took me to the NY Fingerlakes Wine Festival for my birthday. She declares I need a pick me up. I've been dealing with a lot. This would be adventurous and who doesn't love a little adventure. She wants to spoil her friend. Can I allow her to do that for me. I hesitate for a few moments than say "Fuck it. I'll do it."
The piercing guy happens to be walking in the door as I make my decision. I ask him how bad a tongue piercing hurts. He thinks for a moment than says it is about a 32. I am like a 32 out of 100? He laughs. He says it depends on the person but it is really one of the less painful piercings. I remind myself I spent 24 hours in hard labor with my daughter. No drugs. I injure myself daily on something. I could do this.
We give him our I.D.s, sign the waivers and head back to the piercing room. Becky goes first. She is my hero. She doesn't even flinch. I feel braver just watching her. It makes it so much easier that our piercing guy is very outgoing and humorous but also very knowledgeable. He put us at ease. Becky was joking with him about passing out. He said it has happened quite a few times in his 10 years doing piercings. This conversation jars my memory.
I look at our piercing friend sheepishly. I make him aware that there is a possibility of me fainting. He is not phased at all. He gets me a soda from the fridge to drink while he sterilizes the room for my piercing. When I walk back into the room I notice immediately that my needle is much longer and thicker than the one he used on Becky. My anxiety jumps several levels. Why did I look?? I make a joke about it and remember to breath.
He has me hop up on the table and rinse my mouth with antiseptic rinse. It tastes like salt and lemon with a hint of Listerine and an undertone of mint. As I am swishing and swirling thoroughly he explains the whole tongue ring process. He tells me from start to finish it will take no longer than 30 seconds. He is going to hold my tongue with the clamp, insert the needle, put the bar through the piercing then tighten it. First he needs to dry my tongue with a paper towel and mark the entry and exit spots. Time to stop swishing.
He grabs a paper towel and tell me to stick out my tongue. I have dry mouth. My blood pressure pills are the culprit. I always need a drink near by. However, the experience of having your tongue thoroughly dried with a paper towel is.....very strange and drying. LOL! I don't know how else to describe it. It was so dry it felt as if it would stick to the wall. He pulls a bib out of the drawer and tucks into my shirt. I joke that Becky didn't have to use a bib. He laughed and said Becky's piercing would not cause her to drool. Becky finds this hilarious. Great! Just call me Drooly Julie.
He takes my tongue in the clamp to mark the entry and exit spots. I feel a twinge of pain when he pulls my tongue to get underneath it. The underside of your tongue is always very sensitive to begin with. Imagine pulling it out as far as you can with tongs. It may hurt a little. As brave as I am trying to be, as hard as I am trying to think of anything other than the fact that a giant freakin needle is going straight through my really dry tongue and may hurt a little...my mind goes to that place....the panic place. I think, if the clamp is hurting me, than the needle is going to be excruciating. I am not going to bail, but I ask myself why I do the things I do to myself. The answer, because in the end it is always a good time and always worth it.
My piercer snaps me out of my panic place to ask if I was ready to go. I nod. A wave of anxiety begins to rush through my body. Becky said my face went completely white. He turns to get the needle while still holding my tongue with the clamp. He reminds me to keep still for 30 seconds. Here comes the needle. It's like the samurai sword of piercing needles. This is serious and it is going down right now!
It feels like it is sliding through a stick of butter. That is how your tongue feels when a needle is pushed through it. It's an odd feeling. I begin drooling and bleeding. A tear runs from my eye down my cheek but it is not from pain. It is from the pressure in my mouth. He is already tightening the bar in my tongue. Wait! Hold on a second here! Where is this excruciating pain? I've had papercuts that have hurt way worse than this. He applies more pressure to my tongue to stop the bleeding and wipes the tear from my cheek.
He then hands me a mirror and tells me it is done. I start talking but I am still drooling. I seemed to have also developed a lisp. Becky is laughing at me. He asks if I have any questions for him. Can I eat pizza is what I ask him. (Hey, it is an important question.) He said it depends. He knows people that have had steak dinners after a tongue piercing and he knows people that were all soup and mashed potatoes for a few days. I would have to see for myself. I figure I will try but my tongue is starting to get sore from the clamp as well as being pulled a half mile out of my mouth. I have a long tongue he told me. More to pull he laughs.
Then he gets serious. The next part is very crucial he informs me. He says to prevent infection or major swelling I needed to rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash diluted with water every time I eat or smoke. (Oh boy, going to be rinsing all day long because I am a chain smoker I think to myself. ) I could get the mouthwash they sell which is an antiseptic/sea salt rinse. It's very good. Becky gets me that as a parting gift. He also says to take some ibuprofen every 4-6 hours to help with inflammation but to eat when taking them so I do not tear my stomach apart. No problem taking the pills, the eating part would be a challenge since I had no desire to eat because my tongue was so sore.
He says not to talk too much the next few days. It's the weekend and I am being anti social anyway so there will not be an issue there I inform him. Becky finds that statement amusing. I heart Becky. He said as tempting as it was, do not flick or play with the ring until it heals because that too can cause swelling. I have a feeling I am going to be gape mouthed all weekend till I get use to this thing in my mouth so there will be no flicking. I promise! No kissing either because I do not want to introduce more germs to the wound. (Again, got the whole anti social thing going on so this won't be a problem either.) And finally, I should constantly eat ice chips.
As for the rings themselves, he explains that I should only get rings from certified body piercers.The stuff Hot Topic and other places hawk are made in China and can contain lead as well as other unsafe material that can cause brain damage. A certified piercer will only sell top quality pieces of jewelry. I promise him I will do that. We are now finished here. Becky and I walk back to the lobby with our care instructions in hand. We say good bye to our new friend, thanking him for being there to make our boring Friday night into a fun one. He laughs and says he makes his living off of people that are bored on a Friday night! He was one cool cat! We get into the Jeep, excited about our new piercings, although I don't want to talk about it because he told me not to. We get pizza.
The pizza worked my sore tongue way too much. I guess I am an applesauce and banana person. I pop some ibuprofen and call it a night. And what a night it turned out to be! Over the course of the next few days, I do get some swelling in my tongue but nothing significant. The medicine keeps the soreness at bay so I can eat applesauce and bananas. I religiously rinse my mouth 17 times a day. I completely forget about the ice chips.
I do not talk much although when I visit my parents, my mother knows something is off. I still have the lisp. I show her what I did but tell her I am going to wait a bit until I show my father. I have a tendency to dumbfound him so it may be better to wait until it is healed to show him so he knows I am okay. She agrees but thinks I am crazy. My daughter thinks it is cool. My son...I decide to wait.
By Tuesday I can pretty much eat normal. By Friday, my actual birthday, I am ready for the big reveal. I show my dad and son what I did for my birthday. My father laughs and says "not you too." My son has a look of shock and tells me he is now scarred for life. That went over way better than I was expecting. My dad was at least happy that it was a discreet piercing. "Exactly" I exclaim!
Book.... cover....pages.
My son repeats that he is scarred for life. He laughs this time. As for me, I love my ball tongue. It is fun! I am glad Becky gave me the opportunity to have one. She is my sista from another mista. Can't wait until the next time we are bored on a Friday night!
What is Body Piercing?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing
Contemporary Body Piercing
http://hobby.rin.ru/eng/articles/html/287.html
Body Piercing History
http://www.painfulpleasures.com/piercing_history.htm
Tongue Piercings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_piercing
Chrissy
