Tell the Truth Thursday - Tattoos & Piercings

Redhead Riter asked a question this week. How many piercings or tattoos do you have, and what's the story behind them? Well..I used to have 7 piercings, but you have to remove all jewelry during basic training. So when I was in the military, some of my piercings closed up.

My ear lobes were pierced when I was 10, because that's tradition in my family. The girls get their ears pierced at 10, the boys get their first pocketknife.

My bellybutton piercing was inspired by my first pregnancy. During pregnancy, I loved my belly. Caressed it, rubbed cocoa butter into it, and sang to it. Okay, so I was really singing to my daughter inside, but you get the point. I wanted a constant reminder of that connection to my child, as well as future children. When I wear my bellybutton ring I remember that feeling.

My cartilage piercing, I've always wanted one of on the top of my ear, and once I got it I realized I want my other one done as well. But I when I get my other ear done, I need to get this one redone. It was supposed to be 12 gauge, but it shrank to the size of standard earrings.

My tongue piercing was done for 2 reasons. Number one, I love to stick my tongue out at people. Don't ask me why...I really don't know. I'm saucy, impertinent...I'm SpitFire darnit!!! And having it pierced just draws attention to the fact I'm sticking my tongue out, so it works for me. Plus the man I was married to at the time, was related to the owners of the piercing shop, and they needed to finish the new apprentices training. When you have a new piercer being trained, they have a set number and style of piercings that they have to do, before they become full-fledged piercers. And he lacked 2 tongue piercings. So I signed up for one of them.

My tattoo. I always wanted at least one, but debated back and forth as to the kind & location. My husband at the time wanted to me to get some tattoos that weren't family friendly, and were symbolic of his control over me. Fortunately, I think God intervened, and those never came to be. When I remarried, my new husband had a lovely Celtic cross on his arm, and I realized I've always liked cross tattoos. He has a shamrock in the center, so I got a more feminine cross, with a shamrock in the center as well. But our shamrocks have reversed coloring. Where his is dark, mine is light, and vice-versa. It allowed me to match him, without being barfy about it.

I realized that whatever tattoos I get, I need to make sure it's something I'm comfortable with when I'm 97. I figured, if I'm uncomfortable with a cross, there's more wrong with my life than that tattoo.