Starting off with Body Modification was tough as is. Main thing that was hard was my age. Another thing was where I live. There is no kind of culture. Everyone is either this or that. No in between at all. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say nothing at all because I’m sure there are a handful of people with their own thing. I was ready to take on whatever I had to. Even if it meant, not being able to go to school. You’re probably thinking, “...is Bod Mod really that important?” and my answers is yes. Most people would say that I made a very bad decision. The schools here, the guys have to shave and if they don’t they have to either dry shave, or go home. I knew when I started that I wouldn’t be able to go to school. I plan on getting my GED and everything down the line, so I’m really not worried about it. I’m sure a possible employer would rather see a Diploma instead of a GED, but that was my decision. I’m going to be affected by it.

When I first started this ‘journey’ per say, I didn’t know much about Body Modification as a whole. I knew how to clean a piercing and how to take care of it, but I didn’t know anything about them. I had just turned fourteen when I got my first piercing. Keep in mind, this is before I knew what a reputable shop was. I asked her if I could have my tongue pierced. Of course, everyone starts out with a tongue piercing... well maybe not everyone, but the majority. She had me go get a paper signed and I was back and ready for anything. I sat on this uncomfortable little chair while she stuck the needle thru. I instantly fell in love with piercings and Body Modification as a whole. I later found out that, the shop I went to, obviously was no good.

About a month later, I tried a better shop. Everyone told me to go there, so I did. I walked in and it was a whole new environment. It felt so much more ‘at home’ than the last place I had been to. When I saw the piercer come out of this door, he had stretched lobes, a huge septum, three labrets, a medusa and other ear work. Immediately, I choked up. I didn’t know what to think. I had never seen someone with lobes stretched to the size he had his. I asked him how big they were and he told me one inch. I thought it was huge at the time, but I later found out, that it wasn’t that big at all. Of course, it was bigger than most peoples lobes. He asked me what I wanted done, I told him that I wanted ‘right here’ pierced. I was pinching my bridge. He told me that most people that he had pierced, said it was the worse piercing they had ever had to date. It made me nervous, but I admired how honest he was. He looked like a really mean person, but he was probably the most polite person I had met in this city. I should thank him for sending me on this road. He started me on my way.

Later, I had my ears pierced at 4 gauge. This is when I really started. Before I had this done, I found BMEzine.com! I had read so many experiences and looked at so many pictures. I saw my goal. When I found the perfect ear, it was half inch. I was destined to make it there. Once a month, I’d go get my ears tapered. Sometimes, it would be longer than a month but I was told, when stretch your lobes, patience is the key. I have patience so I knew I would be set.

After I had been pierced about twelve times, I noticed that people started to stare more. I knew this would happen and it didn’t bother me. My mother warned me that I can’t get mad at people for staring at me because it would be my fault. My mom was totally open to me expressing myself but she didn’t want me being negative to others because of their reactions. I had no problem with this, nor did I even think about being rude to people. Before you know it, my mom is getting mad at people. People start yelling little comments like “You’re not in Africa” or “Why would you do something like that to yourself” or “You’re fucking stupid” (excuse my language). It didn’t bother me, but I returned to BMEzine.com and I talked to a couple people. I was comforted for a while.

As the months went by, my lobes were getting larger and more of my piercings were being removed. It had come time to really know what I was doing. I was left with my lobes. I loved them so much. They gave me something to be proud of. I wasn’t afraid of who I was/am anymore. I read more and more on BME. I made everything clear. I read so many experiences that if someone asked me about a piercing, I could tell them almost exactly how a procedure should go. BME was my daily digest. The more I learnt about Body Modification, the more I loved it. The more I loved it, the happier I became. The more I knew that I was completing something deep inside, the prouder I got. The more I knew, the better I was. If someone had a question, I knew I could give them a somewhat valid answer. Every time I would get pierced, I would watch the technique. I would start asking more questions. I became friends with my piercer because he knew I wasn’t the everyday kid coming in to be like their role model or their friends. My piercer and I even talked on the phone a couple times and it wasn’t me calling half the time. He’d call the see how everything was going. This grew into a friendship that was long lasting. I had something in common with people. I started getting discounts and invited to little parties. He started taking pictures of my piercings for his portfolio. He finally had something different to pierce besides a navel, tongue or an eyebrow. Then, I was back on my own. My piercer got a promotion and was moved to a bigger city so he would have more business. He started doing implants and scarification. I’m very proud of him and I hope to see him soon.

Since I was back on my own. I returned back to the BME Chatroom. Talking to people about modifications and asking questions. Then, BME opens up a community. I join and instantly gain a lot of friends with the same interests as me. I get to know people better. I get a lot of very nice comments about how good everything looks and how educated I am on Body Modification. Then everything turns around. People start putting me down about how old I am. Telling me I’m too young to have my lobes stretched and how I have a whole life ahead of me and I made the decision too early. How I went too far at such a young age. Telling me that I didn’t know anything about Body Modification and that I was doing it to be cool. I got these comments from the people who are supposed to be there to support you, or so you would think. Soon after, I withdrew from the community. I thought that people with modifications were no different than without them. Come to find out, they aren’t. People without modifications are just as nice as people with them. Same goes for the rude people with and without modifications. They’re still people and they’re human and they’re different all around. I soon came back to the community because I realized that there were good people. It evens it all out.

I hear about the YMA (Young Modders Alliance) soon after. I figure it’s worth a shot. Young people, like myself, who have the same problems I do. I join and instantly, I’m taken in. I’m instantly a friend to everyone.

One of the main issues I think needs work on is Age Discrimination. This happens more than inside the community. My main goal is to try and make everyone realize that just because someone is under 18 years of age and they have stretched lobes or a lot of piercings, that they might not be like the 15 year old you pierced or talked to the day before. Treat everyone as a separate person and not as the one person you’ve come in contact with. This should apply to everything and not just people getting modifications at a young age.

Next time someone says something and they happen to be underage, instead of making fun of them or being rude to them, help them and educate them. I thank my piercer everyday for opening my eyes to a whole new world and not blowing me off like I am the everyday customer. I do teenager things, but not every teenager wants to look like their favorite band or their best friend.

-Danny