For a couple of years now, sporting a belly button ring was just left to my imagination. I've always wanted one but fear stopped me from getting one. The fear of pain.

One day, I told my friend Kat that I've been wanting one and she admitted that she did too but never got around to getting one because she didn't know anyone who wanted to get one too. I told her that the pain was stopping me from getting one and she claimed that Gene, the one who did her tattoo, said it didn't hurt and even guaranteed money back if it did hurt. That was in October.

For months, I prepared myself for the pain that came with the piercing. I researched on the internet about the process of belly piercing, read accounts from belly piercing forums and conditioned my mind that it wont hurt.

And because bikini and beach season is approaching fast, one March evening, Kat picked me up from the office and headed to Robinson's Galleria to get our piercing done. I volunteered to go in first. I was asked to sit at the edge of a comfy seat (it looked like a recliner but without the reclining part), Gene put on his surgical gloves, swiped my belly with alcohol and marked my belly button with a pen. The receptionist came in with a camera. Apparently, they take pictures of everyone who comes in and has something done... and partly to distract you from the pain because as he takes your picture, at the count of 3, Gene puts the needle in! But I didn't care. I was focusing my eyes on a spot on the ceiling (a tip I picked up) so that I don't look at the needle as it pierced my skin. And well, what do you know?!? It was just like getting an injection shot! I was surprised actually to find a sewing needle (the largest one you could use) piercing my belly button. Gene, then changed the needle with a pin (think: sewing pin with a head on both ends) and we were asked to come back after two weeks with a belly button ring.

Before leaving, I realized he never gave us instructions on how to clean the piercing (as opposed to the system in the United States where they give specific instructions printed on a piece of paper). He said to just clean it with alcohol and iodine.

After the piercing, Kat and I went back to the bar where I worked and showed everybody our new piercing. My uncle said he felt weak just looking at our piercing. Another uncle swore out loud (the mother referring curse) when he saw our piercing. Kat and I kept raising our shirts and telling everybody that it didn't hurt at all and that drawing out blood was even more painful! We felt so proud of ourselves.

I told my parents the very next day. My stepmom didn't react because she was cool with it. My dad swore out loud like his brother, only this time, he said the tagalog version. I had no plans of telling my grandmother because she might disapprove. But my crazy father outed me in front of my grandmother during Sunday lunch! He asked, "Pinakita mo na sa lola mo? (Did you show it to your grandmother already?)" I looked at my dad in disbelief (my sister said that if looks could kill, he'd be dead by now) to which my dad just laughed and said, "Why?! I didn't get mad. I even laughed!" Of course, this just piqued my grandmother's curiousity and she kept asking what I didn't show her. At first, I kept saying, "Magagalit kayo, lola, eh. (You're going to get mad, grandma)" and she kept coaxing me to show her whatever it was that needs to be shown and so I stood up and pulled up my shirt and she exclaimed, "Susmaryosep! (Note to DT: that's 'Jesus, Mary, Joseph' to you!)" That made me laugh and I told my dad, "See? Lola gave me her blessing. Ikaw, minura mo ako! (You cursed me!)"

Had I known that the process wasn't painful, I would have done it a long time ago. After the experience, my first thought was, "All that stressing and fearing over the pain was nothing after all!" I realized that this is applicable to any fear we are overcoming because once we've stepped over that hurdle, we realize... it's not so bad after all.

Here are pics of my piercings: