My stomach was in knots. The walk with my friends across the street was agonizing. I was so nervous that my entire body felt numb. For as long as I can remember I dreamed of getting my cartilage pierced. The way girls could effortlessly pull off the look made me want to join the “club of bedazzled ears”. Although I wanted it, I had one huge obstacle standing in my way: my parents. Being under eighteen, I needed one of my parents to sign a permission form allowing me to get the new accessory. Several issues came up for debate, including the way people with a plethora of piercings are perceived. Eventually my mom signed the form, but my parents got me thinking about how piercings can have a negative connotation.

Piercings give off a certain impression. After talking to sophomore Julia Jarvi, it is easy to say that people do see her differently because of her piercings. “I think when people see me they first think, oh wow that’s a lot of piercings, and can be a little unsure of my nose ring. When they get to know me I feel they find a lot more out about me than just being a girl with a ton of piercings,” Jarvi said. Having eight in total, all of Jarvi’s piercings mean something special to her. According to Jarvi her nose piercing “makes her feel the most confident,”but each of her piercing has its own story. Even though I was getting my ear pierced and not my nose, I knew that with a new piercing I would be seen differently at first glance.

Today the younger generation is becoming more open to piercings. Nick Engebretsen, a sophomore, said that people with piercings don’t bother him too much.  “I think some people get piercings because they look good with it, and others get them for personal reasons,” Engebretsen stated. Teacher, Destinee Stamer, agreed, telling me that, “For the most part I think people are pretty okay with them, depending on the size and where they are.” When Stamer did receive negative comments it was usually from an older generation. Her grandma made comments like, “Get that out of your nose,” or “Do you need to have so many piercings in your ears?” Although certain portions of society may disapprove, getting piercings is just another form of expression.

Looking back now, getting my cartilage pierced was one of the best decisions I’ve made. My piercer was one of the kindest ladies I’ve ever met and She talked me through the whole process, step by step, which really helped calm my nerves. Before I even knew it, I had a new earring resting in my cartilage. My mom even said to me, “Wow… that is super pretty,” immediately after I was finished. Although some people may still look at piercings negatively, a majority of society is showing support. I never realized that something so simple could make me feel so confident. Once I realized that I liked the way I felt with my piercing, I didn’t really care what anyone else had to say. My cartilage piercing makes me feel like myself.