When I was turned 18 back in the year of 2004, there were many rite of passages awaiting to mark the occasion. You could get a tattoo and piercing without permission, register to vote and even enter the “adult store” in the heart of our small town. At the time it all felt like a huge deal since this was the first time you actually felt like you can make an adult decision. Why not take advantage of this newfound freedom just like the others your age? Many did and a few went completely overboard! Now twelve years later, I have to wonder; are the decisions made 12 years ago actually relevant in your thirties?
I’ve had this conversation with friends about the “harmless” belly button piercing back in the day. I too took the plunge and got a needle through my inney and still have it to this day. Once my friend’s sister turned 32 she said that she felt that she had to take it out because she didn’t feel that it was mature or really appropriate for someone her age. Is this a conversation we need to have with ourselves at some point? What about those lower back tattoos that aren’t so easily to erase by taking out the perpetrator and awaiting for the evidence to close up? Do we lose our youth by trying to hide the past?
I never thought I would reflect on this special time in my life and think about how long ago it was. Was getting a piercing just following a trend or solidifying my transition into adulthood? What do you think?
Where Am I? 