Random Thoughts on Body Modification

July 29, 1998

Last week I went swimming 3 times. This is noteworthy because I haven't been since last year, which was pre-navel jewelry and tattoo. I was swimming in public pools, and my two piece suit clearly showed my navel barbell and the top of my tat. Not one person said anything. People didn't even give me weird looks. For some reason, this lack of recognition bothered me a bit. I don't think that I have mods for shock value, but I do feel that I stand out a bit. I concluded that I may have been ignored because either navel rings are very common now, people are more polite than I give them credit for, or just that no one noticed it. (Aside - I didn't realize that piercings could be ignored, but I was with my dad checking into a hotel and the girl that was helping us had the most obvious two tongue pierces I had ever seen. I later said to my dad that I was glad my tongue pierce wasn't so obvious and my dad didn't even know what I was talking about. Of course my dad is sometimes spacey, but I watched several people check in before us, and no one else said anything to her or even seemed to notice.)

I wasn't completely ignored last week. I was introduced to a friend of a friend of my dad (that means he was over 40). The next day he said hello, and said he recognized me by my earrings (we were on a cycling tour and I was wearing a helmet and sunglasses, and he was passing me). A few days later, I was talking to some guys while I was waiting for my hotel room. One noticed my rook and asked if it hurt. I'm hardly ever asked this, so I didn't have a witty response ready. So I said, "What do you think?" He said, "I don't know, did it?" I said, "Of course it did." Then he asked why I got it if it hurt (which was a stupid question since he first asked about how many miles I rode that day. Since the answer was 105, I would of thought that he would realize I don't mind pain). I told him that I like the way it looks, and he accepted that. I think he was the first person to say anything about my jewelry in months. I also think that people don't realize that my 6 gauge plugs go all the way through, or more people might say something.

All this thinking about how others perceive me made me think about how I react to strangers with body modifications. I don't know if I am hyper-sensitive or still a bit prejudice, but I noticed that I have a hard time paying attention to (or politely not staring at) people who have visible mods. I first try to pretend I don't notice anything (like an 8 gauge septum ring and pink hair aren't obvious). Then I think, "Wow, this person is a freak and I don't have anything in common with them. " But sometimes I just think, "I would never have the guts to do that," or "My tongue is pierced too, I'm just not sticking it out like you are." So I think until bodmods are really common or I start hanging out with heavily modded people, I will notice and react to people with visible mods.

And now for something completely different ... (here is why this page is random). A few weeks ago I woke up from a nightmare. I was having trouble falling asleep, so I tried to imagine the beach. That didn't help, so I thought of a mountain forest. That wasn't helping either, so I started planning my next tattoo. I fell right asleep. I haven't figured out what this means, but I think it shows that body art is a positive and calming part of my life (either that or it is really boring).

October 4, 1998

Lately, I've been having piercing dreams. A few weeks ago, I dreamed I got my eyebrow pierced. I have been thinking of getting this done, but I don't think I will. In my dream, the pierce migrated and most of the dream was about me putting the jewelry back in. Last night, I dreamed that I got my septum pierced. Now this is not something I've been thinking of doing, so it was a weird dream. I'm not sure why I've been having these dreams lately, but in the past, I think that I did pierce everything I had a dream about.

November 6, 1998

I had yet another piercing dream last night. This time I had a tiny diamond nostril screw. The dream was really about something else so it didn't explain when I got it or why. I just knew I had it because the tail of the screw kept coming out of my nose and I had to flip it up. I haven't consciously thought about piercing my nostril and I have no clue as to how the idea entered my head. Weird.

November 16, 1998

Maybe this page should be renamed "Piercing Dreams." Last night I dreamt that I was getting my septum pierced. Most of the dream involved trying to find a piercing studio, and then being put on a 2 hour waiting list. In the end I did get it done and it felt like the perfect pierce. I still don't think I'm going to get my septum pierced in real life, but I think it's interesting I keep having this dream.

December 29, 1998

Yes... yet another septum pierce dream. In this one I dreamed I got it because I realized that I would keep thinking about it until I got it done. But, my reason against it still stands - I don't want to swim with fresh piercings. But - in a stream of conscious way - I won't start swimming until the beginning of February because I am getting inked on January 15. A month should be enough time for a pierce to get over its fresh stage - especially an easier pierce like a septum. Hell, it will probably heal before my conch. But, I would have to get it done very soon - or I really won't have time to heal it. I guess the real question is - do I really want my septum pierced? In a "I haven't had a new pierce in 2 months way I do" and a "it's daring and exciting for me way", but do I really want a piece of jewelry up my nose? I have already decided that I would look dumb with visible jewelry and I don't think my job would allow it. But the erotic is also appealing. And I must admit that I'm getting exciting just thinking about it and I've already thought of calling around to see who could do it today and who has appropriate jewelry. Hmm, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to include my decision in my entry today (but hey, I think I will call around, just for the heck of it).

April 28, 1999

Hmmm, It's been a while since I updated this page. I did get my septum pierced, which stopped the craving for a while even though it fell out the next day. I recently had the dreams again. In one, I had my septum pierced and I just felt happy that it looked so right. I think I've had the others again too, namely the eyebrow and the nostril and a new one -- the labret. But my sister has her eyebrow and nostril done so I don't think I want to get mine.

Yesterday I got bit by the piercing bug again. I really want to get something done, but I'm not sure what. I would consider my septem again, if a circular barbell would work. Again, below the belt won't work because of the cycling and nipples would take too long to heal. I'm bored with my ears, so I'm limiting my choices. I told my sister I would get something done this weekend, so I guess I'll just think about it for a while.

July 29, 1999

This morning I removed 6 pieces of jewelry. The eyebrow was something I had planned on removing before my August 8th wedding, but the others were more spontanious. I just didn't want the pierces anymore. I'm not sure why, but it might have had something to do with what happened last week.

Last week, I was on another bike trip. At one of the rest stops, two middle aged men gave me a hard time about all my pierces. At the end, one said, "Well, you expect people to bug you, or why else would you have them?" Well, I knew I didn't want them to have people harrass me, but I wasn't sure why they were there any more. The man also told me that he expected someone 18 to look like me, but I looked at least 19 or 20 (good save, but I don't really care if people know that I'm actually 24). So maybe that's it. I've out grown my pierces. I'm not planning on removing the remaining ones, but I'm also not missing the ones I removed. I will probably be pierced again in the future (If I can find a good piercer) but I will probably have my nipples done.

January 12, 2000

I can't believe that it's been over 6 months since I last updated this page. And the reason that it hasn't been updated is that nothing has happened in 6 months bodmod wise. It's getting to that time when I might want to add to my tattoo, but I've been swimming regularly twice a week. At this point in my life, swimming (and athletics) are more important than body art. I don't think I'm done forever, but until my training is less intense and I feel that I can take a few weeks off from swimming, nothing is going to happen.

I've also been thinking (again) of taking out my tongue barbell. I might just do it on the anniversary of the piercing. My only real complaint is that sometimes my tongue swells when I sleep, and the barbell is a bit tight in the morning. I'm still not decided yet, maybe I'll wear my longer barbell for a while.

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