On Sunday I attended the church my dad pastors, the church I grew up in, to hear some friends who are missionaries share their hearts.
Those of you who have been faithfully reading this blog know that I seem to have a certain magnetism for nosy older ladies when I pay visits to that church, and the seeming ability to shock them without trying (my favorite story on that front is recorded here).
This past Sunday was no exception, though it was a different lady, with a more bold approach than usual.
The service had ended, and I was standing with a small group of people - the missionary friends and a few others, when this particular lady walked up and inserted herself into our circle of conversation.
She paused for a moment, stared at my face, and then chose the following as her introductory remark:
"You have one of those things in your nose!"
She turned to our missionary friends, and commented that their daughter "does too."
I really thought we were past the stage where the elderly church ladies notice and are shocked by the tiny stud that I wear in my right nostril, since I've been wearing it for over three years now, but clearly I was wrong.
She continued to study my face intently.
"I could never do that. I get sick too often and am always blowing my nose."
The mental image of this take charge matron of an old lady wearing a nose piercing was cracking me up. Cracking me up in the inner voice starts to lecture sort of way, "Lisa Christine! This would not be the appropriate time to laugh. It would also not be the appropriate time to ask her where she had ever gotten the impression that anyone thought she should pierce her nose."
For once, the mental voice kicked in soon enough, and the filters reached my mouth.
I replied calmly, explaining (though with some secret amusement), that I too am often sick, and suffer from allergies and blow my nose constantly. The nose ring is not a problem for this, and hasn't ever been, except perhaps for the first few weeks after it was done, when the wound was still healing.
"Well, isn't there a big thing in there, on the back, to keep it in?"
(My inner voice is still very amused that I am discussing the logistics of nose piercings with this "nosy" old lady, when only moments before I'd been having a very good conversation about ministry in South East Asia with my friends.)
And so, I explained the logistics of the fact that my particular nose ornament is made of surgical plastic or silicone, and no, it doesn't have a back, it's more of a corkscrew shape that prevents it from coming out, and it sits flush against the inside of my nostril.
This seemed to stymie her, and she moved on, leaving me rather amused that yet again my Sunday morning had taken an odd old lady turn.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
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4 comments:
HA! i also have a stud in my nose and have gotten various "you have a thing in your nose!" comments from people. My mother disapproves-- from time to time, she'll bring up her disapproval with a snide or sarcastic "you've got a piece of metal in your nose" remark. You'd think she'd realise by now (a year and a half later) that the ring is here to stay. i've had to learn to just smile and nod... and walk away.
Ally - glad to hear I'm not the only one! My parents don't care, but three years on, apparently some of the older church ladies are still noticing and needing to remark on it :)
I got my nose ring (mine in the left nostril) about 8 years ago and the first day I got it, I was volunteering with the middle school group at our church for a waterski party. One of the moms was there and she looked at me, curling her lips in a little disgusted scowl and wrinkling her eyes.
Is that a booger on your nose? she asked.
Me: Uh, no. It's a nose ring
Did you get that on purpose? she asked.
It was hard not to burst out laughing right there. I choked on my laughter and attempted to explain calmly that my nose ring was no accident -- that, as a 25-year-old who had a full time job and paid all my own bills, that I had thought long and hard and knew that I wanted one.
And 8 years later, I still rather like my sparkly booger. :o)
Kirsten, that may be the best nose piercing story I've ever heard!
When I first got it, almost none of my relatives even noticed! People who saw me all the time took weeks to notice that there was even something different! I took that as a sign that my new jewel looks natural where it's nestled on my nostril! :)
I got mine after a number of years of thought, to mark a particular anniversary of healing, and yep, almost four years later, I still rather like it too :)
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