If you’ve ever seen me around Northwood or know me, you know I have my eyebrow pierced. And if you don’t know me, but were to take a first glance at me, I’m sure you would probably first look at my eyebrow ring. You would most likely come up with your judgment that I’m some rebellious teen that does crazy things. Those of you who do know me, know that I’m probably completely the opposite. At my soccer camp last summer I had one girl see me, and she said, “Oh you’re the one with the eyebrow ring.” I know not many people around have their eyebrows pierced, but I do have a name; I’m
not just a person
with jewelry on my face.
Just because someone has piercings or tattoos doesn’t mean they are a bad person or make wrong decisions. I chose to get my eyebrow pierced not to rebel against my parents or go on a rampage and get more piercings or tattoos; I got it because I liked the look and I just liked it. I don’t let my piercing define who I am; it’s just a part of who I am.
Society has put it into our heads that people with piercings or tattoos are bad or crazy people. People are allowed to have their judgments, but get to know me before you put me in your stereotype. Fox News reported that what was once one in seven between the age of 18-29 have a piercing other than the ear lobe has now risen to one in three people between that age group. So if it’s becoming such a popular thing to see, why do we still get judged and stared at?
The most common question I get when people first meet me or see me is, “Did that hurt?” They don’t look at me as a person, they look at my piercing. It’s fine with me that people ask, but they just leave it at that and don’t get to know me really.
Or worse, people just stare at me or my piercing. I’m not a different person than I was before I got my piercing, and neither is any other person with piercings. We are normal people; we just have another hole through our skin.
I admit I have seen some guys with horns in their head, big gauges and lots of tattoos, and I have judged to some point, but they are at that extreme side of tattoos and piercings to the point where I think, “Wow they are so intense, I could never do that.” I still don’t have a right to do that; they are a human being just like me and made choices to alter their bodies, just like me. We need to move away from society’s stereotypes and stop judging people so hard just for having a piercing or tattoo.
— By Tori Nothnagel