To Pierce Or Not To Pierce?

So with my birthday fast approaching this May 11th, (which is brutally the same day as Mother's Day AND a Sunday meaning there isn't much to do) I was thinking of continuing the tradition of getting a piercing. I started out with the less scary rooks and traguses. Which by the way do not hurt to anyone who is considering getting them. The conch was only semi-painful and nose piercing hurt more to take out than to put in. Now my latest and greatest (and more daring) endeavor in body modification may perhaps be the tongue web. The picture to the left displays it. I personally think it looks cool, and it would be easy to hide in my work situation. I am told that it would also be less painful than my most recent piercing which is a dermal anchor over the center of my collarbone.

In thinking about it, I cannot help but thinking about all the comments I have gotten about the ones I already have. Thinking back to Women's Studies on Art and Culture my first semester of college, we discussed body art and modification. What it means to each person, both the wearer and the viewer, the artist and the critic. As many times as people have made positive comments or compared me to "The Raven" in my love of shiny objects, I have also received just as many negative comments. "Masochist" and "born in a storefront" were the strongest. These are the types that make me consider my reasoning deep down.

In a victim mindset, in a world driven by certain expectations of looking "normal," am I hurting myself just to hurt myself or rebelling against a set standard? My mind is in a constant revolution after all; a flurry of new ideas. I certainly wouldn't call myself a rebel without a cause, or wake up and say, "I want to put myself through an immense of pain due to self-hatred." perhaps sub-consciously I do have those thoughts. I cannot rule it out, however I still find that I like looking at piercings on other people. I find that they bring a certain uniqueness, and as a pacifist, I could not stand the thought of another person inflicting pain on themselves. I found myself back in the cyclical art of conversation with one's self. No wonder the world is round. So why didn't people figure that out until 1492? Oh wait, that is western closed-mindedness. Here you go, humanity, I'll give you a little credit back.