Monday, December 14, 2009

To pierce or not to pierce, that is the question.

Me and my nose ring transformed by my BF into fridge magnet circa 2000-ish

I was 20 and it just seemed logical to get my nose pierced. I figured that it was the best way to express my individuality. I almost fainted after the needle went in and when my Dad saw it he cried. My boss at the coffee house that I worked at hated it too. So, I sadly took it out. After convincing my boss that nobody cared if a barista at a coffee house had a nosering (had he seen the movie Singles?) I trudged back up to the tattoo shop and had them pierce it again. It hurt-again.

Me and my nose ring had 5 years of punk rock bliss together. I loved having it, I felt so cool and ornamented. Every boss that I had at every dead end job demanded that I take it out but I somehow convinced them to let me keep it. I fought hard to have that little ring in my nose.

Then, one night in a drunken stupor, as I lay drooling on my pillow and dreaming of french fries, my nosering wiggled it's way halfway out of my nose. I didn't notice until a co-worker said "Why is your nose ring hanging halfway out of your nose?" I tried to push it back in but it wouldn't go through. So, I did what any other lazy 24 year old would do...I had a nose ring that hung only half way in for a time. Sexy? Not really. So, before my wedding, my good friend Christine (she's the one you can count on to tell you if you have spinach in your teeth or a dumbass looking nosering on your face) took me to yet another tattoo shop for my birthday and they re pierced my nose for the third time. I had them put in a tiny little diamond because I was more mature and thought that it would be more subtle for my wedding.

Then, I had a baby. My nosering became so much more to me then. All the other moms with noserings (all 2 of them) at the Mom's Club that I went to gravitated to me. We were making a statement. We were saying, I'm still me even though I have this baby on my hip. I'm still young and with it, no Pooh Bear shirts for me, no sir, I am alternative and will never take this nosering out of my face.

Then, I got pregnant again. One morning, I was drying my face off with a towel as I stepped out of the shower, my nosering got caught on the fibers of the towel and fell out. I was 8 months pregnant and not about to bend over to look for that thing on the floor. I decided that I would just go and get a new one. Somehow, my nosering didn't take priority anymore. I never made it back to the store to get a new one. The hole closed up. I was noseringless for the first time in 14 years. I had my baby, I was busy, I never even thought about it to be honest.

Until recently, as I put on my make up, I caught a glimpse of my plain ol' nose. Should I go get it pierced for a 4th time? The answer is no. I have decided to let that part of my life go. Maybe it's because I finally feel really comfortable with myself. I don't need a piercing to feel cool and let's face it, at 35, I'm not exactly a spring chicken. I'll save the noserings of the world for the new crop of young ladies that need to express themselves. I feel pretty secure with one kid on my hip and the other hanging onto my leg, I don't need a nosering anymore to feel unique.

Now, as for "Mom jeans",
I solemnly swear to never wear a pair.
Nobody should feel that secure.

*Please read the post below for the winner of Freakshow Friday

16 comments:

Lee said...

I have to agree with that one...let the young chicks do it.

Tami G said...

well.....I'm a rebel by nature - so I say get it pierced! ha ha
ok - no - i'm just kidding. At 35 also myself, I say.... get your BELLY BUTTON pierced instead! Then your not flaunting it to everyone, but it's still sexy in the bedroom! I love a little spice... =)

This coming from the girl who is getting ready to go get matching tatts with my boyfriend! on the inside of my wrist nonetheless! But the tatt is gonna be SOOOOO flippin cool! I can't wait. =)

MamaOtwins+1 said...

Well as a rebel - I can understand your keeping it for so long. But then I'm kinda with you on that was a part of you then and now, well we're only partially old because we DON'T WEAR MOM JEANS!

*AUTUMN said...

why, hello other nose ring lady! i had my nose pierced before i had the little dude and I LOVED IT!!! i had a tiny diamond stud and my nose looked hot with it. but, now the industry i work in doesn't allow that kind of stuff. i'm hoping the computer industry lets me. they've got to be more laid back than this office.

i say GO FOR IT! i'll be there with ya in spirit rooting ya on and getting jealous every passing second. :)

Dee at Pedestrian Palate said...

I should probably give up my purple streak. nah, I plan to be the only geezer at the retirement home with a party colored streak of hair.

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

similar to my belly ring - it came out after i was about 7 mths pregnant with the son and now a belly ring won't look so good on a mom pooch

Alicia said...

oh honey......i did the SAME thing!! i had my nose and my lip pierced... one day jordan pulled out the nose ring and tossed it in the garbage... we both kinda realized those days were fading fast! plus my baby always tried to pull it out and it friggin hurt. and mom jeans...no no no no. next thing you know we'll be driving mini vans...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Kimi said...

I never did the nose ring but I had a belly button ring. Hubs wishes I would get it repierced but I'm debating...

Erin Bennett Jenkins said...

Yesterday i saw the picture of you and k and i lost it. i cried so hard because i realized that when i picture you while on the phone, i dont picture you with that haircut. i realized that i havent seen you in almost 2 years! Waaaaaah!

Come to New York and get your nose pierced!

Candice said...

I had a nose ring for about a month before I got too self concious about it and took it out. It's amazing how fast those little holes close up!

Lemonade Makin' Mama said...

LOL I love this... I considered the nose ring, and decided against it for very similar reasons!

Blessings,
LMM

Raoulysgirl said...

OMG! The EXACT same thing happened to me! Well, I only got pierced once (WHY in God's name would you do it THREE times?). I also was between pregnancies.

But the damned towel...ACK! I had a little gold diamond thing too. And it got STUCK on the way out!

Yay!

THAT was fun to remove, let me tell ya.

Unknown said...

I feel the same way about my belly button ring. I took it out when I was very preggo (it was hangin' by a thread) and never put it back in. I kinda miss it, but I'm not brave enough to get it re-pierced because of how much it hurt the first time. And I don't consider myself a wimp. Oh well. YOu are right---we are 30somethings now. Time to let go, right?!

Danielle said...

My girlfriend is thinking about getting hers done again too and she is 38. I think they look great on some people and say GO FOR IT!

Liz Mays said...

My daughter must be one of the young chicks. She just did it and put one of those little diamonds in there.

She told me that it collects boogers inside like nobody's business. LOL

Tracie said...

I have a horrible, mis-shapen nose and love the way a little diamond looks on gals with cute, petite noses. But do whatever feels right. You can always get one in the nursing home and shock the rest of the little old ladies.