when i was at st. ben’s taking my computer art III class in 2001, my professor had a tragus piercing. this was right around the time the cartilage piercings were starting to take off, and when i saw that tragus and how it was completely different than anything else out there, not to mention looking good on a 45-55-year-old woman, i decided then and there that i wanted one. (on a side note, that was the ONLY graphic design class i took in my entire college career, grad work included.)
before that i had already decided i’d get a tattoo at some point. my uncle and cousin had tattoos that i’d admired (even though they did not).
so when i had the cash, i got the tattoo first, and then less than a year later, i got my tragus pierced. at this point i’d already had my cartilage done (with a gun, unfortunately).
then they started cropping up all over.
this wasn’t a bad thing; i just considered myself an early adopter.
when i saw a picture of a triple forward helix three years ago or so, there was another moment where i said, “i want that”. and today i went in to get it.
unfortunately, my ear isn’t designed to accommodate a triple forward helix, so i just got a couple helixes farther up my ear. not exactly what i wanted, but i’m still happy with them.
what is the cause, though? i couldn’t tell you besides the idea that when i see something i like, i normally go for it. my tattoos are not your stereotypical picked-out-of-a-book tattoo with biker symbols and skulls and death that most people associate with tattoos. my piercings are all removeable if i want them to be (no). i like pretty things. i like meaningful things. i don’t consider myself goth (they are too emo) like my mom thinks i am. i just think things are pretty that she doesn’t.