Body Piercing Saved My Life

*Note* This was originally written sometime in 2006 or 07.*


While driving the other day, I found myself waiting on a left turn light behind a truck bearing a license plate frame stating, "Body piercing saved my life." Now, I have to say that initially I scoffed at such a silly notion. Body piercing? A savior? Please. Not possible. Not even close. But then, as I turned left and continued along my way, I continued to ponder not only the license plate frame but also the idea of being saved in a larger sense...


Could something as simple as body piercing save someone's life? Let's start with a general question: What constitutes saving? Does it inherently signify an act which makes someone physicalIy (or perhaps mentally) safe? Is it merely changing in some specific way, whether significant or trivial? Perhaps it is a catalyst that allows for a complete overhaul of one's lifestyle, ideology, or circumstances...


We hear so often from various people (Christians, mostly, but many others as well) that being saved is necessary for your soul. If you leave this earth without being saved, then that life, in some ways, was really for naught. This of course scares a fair amount of people who may scramble towards the end of their life to attain the rank of Saved, but can this motivation be enough to constitute genuine saving? The rationale for such a search is weak and should be discounted as dishonest and superficial. Indeed, there are many people in the world who would not consider themselves "saved" who live good lives and, should there be an afterlife where rewards for such lives are reaped, would undoubtedly be part of those who benefit from said rewards.


Back to the license plate frame -- Can something as simple as body art/self expression enable someone to alter their state of being in such a way that they feel the need to share their "secret" with the rest of the world? Should we all be looking into body piercing as a way to make our lives better, more meaningful, more fulfilling? Or should we read such a statement from another angle entirely .. perhaps the person was receiving a piercing and had some sort of revelation that just happened to coincide with the piercing appointment? Maybe they originally went in for a tattoo, changed their mind, and as a result did not contract Hepatitis or HIV.


Maybe the born-agains, the Buddhists, and Bob Greene have got it all wrong -maybe all we need to live our best life is a tongue ring or an eyebrow bar. Something tells me that I'm probably just reading way too much into something.