Piercings

I was born in Woodside, in Queens, New York, and raised in Brooklyn. My family background, however,  is from Mexico, where the Aztec and Mayan civilizations once stood. My father and uncle have showed me a lot about my native culture; their world, concerts, celebrations, tattoos, and the one I love most, piercings!

            I got involved with piercings once I saw my uncle get one in his ear. Seeing my uncle from that perspective, it did not look painful, so I decided to get one for my own. I was wrong about the pain, thought—I never would have thought it would hurt that much.

             It was then where my journey began. My uncle took me to his concerts. I met with a whole new type of piercings; body, tongue, lip, eyebrow, nose piercings, and the one that caught my eyes the most—gauges. Just looking at it, I didn't understand the process of getting a gauge. I asked my uncle, and he explained how our civilization, the Aztecs, performed those type of piercings. At that moment, under the influence of my Aztec bloodlines, I went to go get these so-called "gauges".

            I met up with a store full of these people who also had ridiculously big gauges. I knew nothing on how the whole process would go it until I saw a big needle. I was told how they had to expand my ear in order to fit the size of the gauge. I was recommended to start out little by little and to work my way up on expanding it, but I had no intention to do that. I automatically went to a big size. In a gauge form it is 0, in millimeters it is  8.251mm, the size of a Sharpie cap. I felt so much pain in my ears as the process was going on, but I took it on. After so long of being tortured I saw my ears and they were awesome! I totally loved my ears on how they looked even though they were bloody.

            The plugs I had were so incredible. I felt the connection of the Aztec World. I feel very proud representing my Aztec cultural. After those gauges I did, I went on in getting more body piercing. In total, I have had 21 piercings. I only wear 3 these days, one of which still happens to be my gauges. However, now my gauges have been expanded to a 5/16, the size I think will stick with for now. Having these gauges indicates my feelings towards my ancestors, and is much more than just for looks.