Bárbara, a pierced self

Hello!

Well, since I have a piercing, I thought it appropriate to make a publication here in our class blog concerning a subject that gives a lot of "itching" to our aging population (someone has been studying geography LOL) and to our society in general.

I don’t know, but I think the blog’s administrator was already expecting a publication on the subject. (weren’t you, teacher Alex?)

I will tell you what led me to do my piercing. Well, when I pierced my lip I was (still) 14 years old, and did the piercing because, at the time, I was also heading to the FMM Sines – Festival Músicas do Mundo I was going to make dreadlocks! I had already been thinking about having them for some time and even tried to create them on my own, but in vain. So, lucky me, at the festival were plenty of stalls making dreadlocks for 7 euros. As much as I wanted dreadlocks, my father didn’t allow and didn’t pay for them…

When I came back to Coimbra a few days later, I felt so much anger!  

I turned my rage against all the limited, outdated people and, with my mother’s permission, I had my lip pierced. I wanted to prove to the "world" that the fact that I have a piercing does not mean that I smoke or take drugs; I wanted to prove that dreadlocks are not that bad, not loaded with lice, as many think ... there are people with dreadlocks who have their hair cleaner than those with "normal" hair.

I think dreadlocks are beautiful, provided they are well cared for. There are people who think that those who have dreadlocks do not wash their hair ... LIE !!! The dreadlocks are washed, yes ... washed with blue soap.

Unfortunately, because one has dreadlocks and listens to Bob Marley, (s)he is a drug addict. OMG – what a limited perspective! Unfortunately, that's how our society works, I have to accept, as everyone now has to accept that I have a piercing.

Now, if I go back to the festival this year, besides the promise of a new blog post on this issue, I’ll have dreadlocks made! I will be even more criticized, but I just don’t care! It also happened when I first had the piercing… criticisms and more criticisms: it’s horrible, no boy will kiss a girl with a piece of metal… I haven’t even answered those provocations!

As for my mom, she didn’t react that well at first. Initially, she said I was crazy, but then let me do it and even helped me look for the right place to do it.

My mom has been fantastic, really! I’m sure that this year I can count on her for my first dreadlocks. Finally!