~ Kommentary by Kritter ~

The Story of the Ring

Well, it’s not so much a ring as a post with one curvy end and one glittery end.

Yes, Mom, it’s too late.

Friday, after finding out that my workplace did not have a policy against it, I went and got my nose pierced. I had been thinking about it for quite a while, but was anxious about my job.

Rightfully so - I AM a young professional. But when I shared with a co-worker that I wanted to get it done, she told me there used to be an administrator with a nose piercing, and she thought I should just check with Personnel to see about a policy. Personnel said there wasn’t one and I should simply use common sense. I think a lack of common sense would be showing up at work with a two-inch barbell in my septum. No thanks.

The actual piercing event was very non-climactic. There was no line, and Scott, the piercer, was ready for me to be ready. I waited for Julia to arrive. She was to be my moral support. I picked out the little post thingy (seriously, what do you call the thing in my nose? It isn’t an EARring. It isn’t a ring at all. What the hell is it?). The three of us went back to Scott’s cubicle and I removed my jacket and suit coat because I was warm. He put a dot on my nose, I approved the placement and he cleaned the area. I dug my fingernails into my palm and started to say a Hail Mary. Those two words were all I got out, and it was done. Seriously. It stung for about 30 seconds afterward. My eyes attempted to water, but decided they weren’t offended enough. Apparently, eye-watering is normal. Scott handed me a paper towel, but I didn’t really have anything to wipe.

Julia and I went for a celebratory drink at the new bowling-alley bar in the Loop. I got something called Antifreeze and that is about what it tasted like. I kept jumping up from my bar stool to check out my nose in the bathroom.

I haven’t really decided what I think yet. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I just think I am crazy. Well, I KNOW I am crazy. But I have wanted to do something different for quite some time and well, now I have. I’m not a punk and I am not rebel. I just needed a change of sorts. A new car is too expensive. A tattoo is permanent. This nose thing- I can take it out when I am done and that’s that.

It’s gone over fine at work so far. My immediate boss didn’t mind it at all, but we are all anxious to hear what our loud, crass, fearless leader (the superintendent) has to say. He’ll tell me he hates it and make fun of me every time he sees me until he retires at the end of the year. So basically, nothing is going to change anyway.

I was quite happy to do something my ex-boyfriend hates. I am hoping my parents will accept it. None of my friends really care, they just want me to be happy. And that is what this is all about anyway. And my verdict is still out. I am certainly not taking it out too soon though. I mean, I spent the courage and money to do it. I am going to have to wait little while before I can change this first posty thing to the flatter kind that I really want. Then I will decide.

In the end, I am quite pleased that I was courageous enough to do something unconventional that I wanted. Afterall, I AM 26 and a half. (Happy half birthday to me. Happy half birthday to me. Happy half-birthday TO ME! Happy half birthday to me.)

Posted by kristen at February 23, 2004 11:02 AM | TrackBack