odd realization...

have you ever changed your appearance in some way, say getting a drastic haircut or changing from glasses to contacts? after you did it, did you notice that you had some reflexive gestures that went along with the old look? like flipping your hair over your shoulder, or pushing your glasses back up your nose? did you keep doing the gesture for a couple weeks after you made the change?

i just did that, with my nose piercing. for the last 6 years, i've had a style of jewelry called a (i know this sounds awful) nostril screw. it was basically a stud-style earring with a really long post that is bent around in a spiral so that it lays flat against the inside of your nostril. the great thing about it is that there's nothing on the inside to poke your septum, so it's very comfortable to wear. unfortunately, it can be really hard to fit those things. i've had three different nostril screws in the past six years, and the last one is the only one that fit right on the inside. unfortunately, the spiral it was in, while it fit great in my nostril, left the gem on the outside looking a bit "tucked in" and crooked.

so i went for a change, and after three or four adjustments to the fit, my piercer (pam at trilogy in the gayborhood. she rocks.) suggested a different style. she suggested i use a labret stud. to which suggestion i said, "a what-what-what?" i'd never seen one up close, never having had a labret piercing. anyway, it amounts to an earring with a cap-style back on it. however, the "cap" in this case is like a tiny metal bud vase. it's got a very smooth, flat butt on it, and a short barrel that the stone kinda snaps into. it's actually kinda neat from a variety perspective because once you've got that backing, you can swap out for any stone you want. so i got an opal. (pretty shiny thing!)

now, the odd realization that started this whole post is this: i apparently had a large number of reflexive gestures related to my old nostril screw. it had a tendency to spin in the piercing so that the spiral part of the stud was hanging down out the bottom of my nostril. when you're a giant amazon, and most people look up at you from some lower elevation, this is especially apparent and rather a social faux pas. pam changed the jewelry out for me last night, and i can't tell you how many times i've reached up in the last 12 hours to make sure that my nostril screw was adjusted correctly. i'm looking forward to getting used to this thing so i don't look like i'm picking my nose all the time. ugh.