Almost impulse

So.. I kind of thrive on impulse. I love adventures to LA or San Diego on a random night. A last minute midnight showing thrills me. And an urge to cut my hair as I drive past a salon will put months or years of growing my hair out to waste in a drive home.

No, I did not cut my hair. I really am trying to grow it out.

But another impulse that I've acted on the last few years is piercings. I swore growing up that I'd never pierce my ears, because it was "way too girly". But, a summer of serving God and discovering color in my wardrobe made me decide that being girly on occasion wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and I got my first piercing in my ears. Five months later I added three more the day after marching band season ended, two months after that I got another one the day before I turned 18. Six months later, while walking through the mall, I added another one. Then randomly, a few months later, I decided I wanted two more after talking to someone at church, so I added those to one of my ears after lunch that day. Then this past February I repierced two of them that closed. Between piercings number 7 and 8, I got my nose pierced. That was a thought on Monday, and an action on Friday.

Anyways, today, I almost pierced my tongue. And not just "I really, really thought about it". More like.. I literally went into a piercing parlor with some friends, had the piercer put on gloves, had him inspect my tongue (Hey, my tongue is piercable! Which not all tongues are, for the record), and then started looking at which stud I wanted.. When I realized I really wasn't sure. Not that I wasn't sure about whether I wanted it - cuz honestly, a tongue piercing was always way more appealing to me than a nose ring (it's because I play with my tongue ALL THE TIME.. I blow bubbles, I make clovers, I twist it, I use it to display when I'm upset by licking my teeth, I bend it.. And adding something new to play with seems amazing!).. But I realized I wasn't sure what our Company Policy was on it. I knew that facial piercings were a no go (I have to take out my nose ring every day at work. The first week of having my nose ring was a week of putting my hand up to my face anyone of Director level or higher walked past my desk.. Just to help with healing), but I was prepared to argue that a tongue ring is not a facial piercing. It's a mouth piercing. And the guy at Outer Limits was even telling me that if our Policy doesn't specifically direct that tongue piercings are no bueno, that I can probably come to a compromise with Management if I approach it maturely. So, I decided it was better to check out our Handbook than to spend money on something that I might need to take out in the morning anyways.

And, unfortunately for me (while to the excitement of others, I'm sure).. Our Policy doesn't just specify that tongue piercing is not okay (and tongue splitting, btw), it goes to great lengths to cover the basis of saying no to any and all piercings outside of the ears (only two in each ear, which I often forget).. I'm not going to quote the Handbook (is that legal? I'm not sure), but it even addressed my thought that I had about maybe getting a tongue ring that would "blend in" so that you couldn't tell.. That's a no as well.

Can't show my tattoo at work, either. Which, is completely understandable. I'm really careful about that too. But I freak out on days that get hot and I throw my hair up in a pony tail.. Cuz sometimes, I think you can see the top..

I get it. A mouth talking to a client with something in it really isn't a professional look , I was (thinking of) doing it for fun. Maybe some random day when I'm the boss of myself, I'll get it, just for kicks and giggles. But for now, my mouth will remain metal and plastic free.

So it was almost an impulse. Not quite, but almost. And at least now I really know our policy. :)