Pierced

    Sharing my view and experience on piercings and tattoos.

I got my first ear piercings when my grandmother decided that it would be fun for us to go have our ears pierced at the mall. She would later go on to spoil me with beautiful earrings as treats for good grades, birthdays, graduations and finally, my wedding day. An earring she bought me mysteriously slipped from my ear and fell in to her coffin on the day of her funeral. I guess it was her way of taking a part of me with her, and reminding me of the one thing we had in common, our pierced ears. Not even her own daughters-my aunts, or my mother-shared that experience with her. It was one of many of our special things. 

In college, the New Age Hippie look became popular, and double holes and asymmetrical haircuts were popular. While I opted out of my hair looking lopsided and unfinished (I shaved it off instead...), I did like the versatility of a two-hole piercing; you could wear a hoop in one hole, and a stud in the other...which looked attractive in my fairly sizable ears, which needed some decor because of my boy-short 80’s hair. While I am not one to mark myself up with tattoos, piercing is an art form that has intrigued me, and as the years have passed, I have grown fond of poking myself every now and then. 

While we all know that body piercings are found in almost every culture in the world, I was still curious to know where the art of poking holes in one's self began. 

Historians and anthropologists assert that humans began piercing various body parts as early as 3300 B.C.E. According to Afro Style Magazine, mummified bodies with pierced ears have been discovered, including the oldest mummified body discovered to date, the 5,300 year old Ötzi the Iceman found in an Australian glacier. Gold, ornate earrings were common in the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and were reserved for only nobility.

Through the centuries, few women pierced their ears, yet men wore ear jewelry to denote wealth and power. As sailors from early Europe ventured to far away places, they learned from other cultures the practice of piercing the earlobe for what was believed to be a remedy for poor eyesight. They also adorned their ear with gold earrings as “insurance” for their loved ones in case their bodies where washed ashore in the event of their death while at sea. 

    Piercing the left nostril is the sign of women of childbearing age in India, as the left is thought to be connected to the reproductive system. I found the significance and the beauty of this particular practice meaningful, and chose to have my nose studded on my 50th birthday. 

I've collected a few more holes in my head over the years, many of them have a significant meaning for me, marking milestones in my life or representing loved ones who are dear to my heart.  My final goal is close; to have a tragus piercing and another nose stud placed close to my current one. 

When I look at myself with my piercings, I see a woman who is confident, strong and comfortable in her own skin. They are a beautiful extension of my self expression that tells the world who I am with every sparkle.

What is your experience with piercings? How many do you have, seen and unseen (smile)? Leave your feedback in the comments below!